Into the wild, a Far Cry fanfiction
by naiara9321
Summary: "The jungle? The synapsis in our brains go dark little by little. You forget where you are from, who you are" (Willis Huntley) What will Sofía be able to do in an attempt to survive Vaas' whims as his pet? M rated for language, violence, sex and drugs.
1. Chapter 1- Cold

**This story has an M rating due to drug use, violence, sex (including noncon), and for language. **

**Concretely, this chapter contains smut language, violence and a rather explicit scene of sexual assault. I strongly advise you not to read it in case you think you might feel offended. **

**I do not own Far Cry, nor none of its characters.**

**Thank you very much for reading this little experiment (it's the first fanfiction I have ever published) , don't hesitate to post any reviews and critics :)**

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I woke up due to the rain, it was splattering all over my face. It was cold inside the bamboo cage, I couldn't stop my teeth from chattering. I could hear the noises from my cage companions, lying like pigs wallowing in the mud, moaning and whimpering in a low voice, so the sentries surrounding us wouldn't hear them. My clothes were thoroughly soaked and the tank top I wore clung to me like a second skin, the bonds that tied me to a bamboo post had rubbed my skin raw. However, no matter how numb, cold and sore my body was, the worst sensation was fear, a fear that clutched my guts with a tight grip. How could I have ended like this?

A few hours ago I was comfortably sitting in a plane from Thailand due to Australia, where I was going to stay as an abroad student for a whole year. However, for some unknown reason, the plane had run out of fuel very soon, maybe there was a leak in the tank; anyway, we had to do an emergency landing in that island. That's when _they_ came; the pilots had gone out to check the plane and try to contact with the airport but, apparently, there was no signal. We were sitting there, worry etched on every face, when the silence was broken by the sound of gunshots. People screamed and we crouched on the ground with our hands over the head. A crowd of rowdy men dressed in red and camo colours entered and began to scream orders. One of them grabbed me by the scruff of the neck.

"Vaya, mira lo que he pescado" he said in Spanish with a Columbian accent (I had no problem understanding him as I was from Spain myself) he leered at me with a cruel smile on his face.

They shoved us roughly out of the plane and tied our hands behind our backs. They shot to the air to make us move, we ran clumsily to a few tracks waiting nearby. They began to force us into the trucks, a big man hoisted me up into the truck, groping my breasts while he did it, I shot him a look of pure disgust. I dragged myself to a corner with the rest of the passengers. We were quite a few, what were they going to do with us?

I don't know how much time had passed, but we arrived to a big camp swarming with big, armed men. They laughed, jeered, whistled and taunted at us when the others took us to the main area. Afterwards, they threw us into those horrible cages and left us there with a few men surrounding us.

The screams snapped my mind back into reality, my companions cringed to the sound. I myself wanted to stick my fingers into my ears and stop hearing it. Then, the fickle weather of the island made the rain stop. I looked at myself, I was a mess: my legs were covered with mud and my denim shorts, which had been clear in colour were now dyed a murky brown, my red tank was splashed with mud and bedraggled, I didn't want to know the state of my hair and face.

We heard loud voices not far away, and more soldiers, or whatever they were came to the cages' zone. They examined the cages one by one, mine was one of the furthest, but I was feeling more and more nervous. I saw a man walking towards us, I couldn't see his face properly because it was sunset time and the sun was right behind him.

"Well, what do we have here?" The man wondered more to himself than anything, he had Hispanic accent too, I thought it was Mexican. He rummaged in his pocket and produced a few little cards, I suppose they were our IDs. He shuffled them.

"Peter Keller, Germany; Hiroshi Tanaka, Japan; James Newton, United Kingdom and Sofía Gómez Martín, Spain. Wow! Looks like the fucking United Nations! Don't you think?"

He crouched at the other side of the bars to look at us, his arms propped against his knees. That's when I could see him clearly. He was a rather bulky and tall man, though I had already seen that before. At first, his face looked like a skull: this was because his head was shaved except for a black Mohawk on the top of his head and his eyes had dark circles around them, which made them look like empty sockets. Dark stubble covered his jaw, especially around the chin and mouth. Nevertheless, the most striking feature he had was a long scar carved on his tanned skin, on the left side of his head, cutting one of his thick, black eyebrows and reaching almost to the end of his head. He wore a red tank top like the rest of the men who had taken us and camo trousers with the bracers dangling with the hem tucked under his heavy military boots. Two of his fingers had white tape and on the other hand he had a bandage; who knew how he had got that.

A feral smile appeared on his face, he stuck out his tongue excitedly, like a snake wanting to smell the air. He realised I was looking at him. He straightened himself and walked towards me. He crouched again in front of me, with a crooked smile on his lips.

"Look what we got here, I was beginning to think this cage was a fucking sausage fest!" he stared at me, a demonic glint in his brownish eyes. Something in his gaze gave me the impression that something was not quite right within this man, some…darkness, insanity. It gave me the chills. "You are a fucking mess, honey" he said, reaching through the bars and pulling with his fingers at the soaked top I wore.

I eyed him warily, not daring to move. His smile broadened even more as he snaked his fingers to push my hair out of my face. "Sorry for the accommodations, but we don't have any better rooms left."

"Vaas!" he turned at the man who was coming near us, Vaas' expression was full of wrath.

"Can't you see I'm fucking busy, Marco? Haven't your parents taught you it is rude to interrupt, hmm?" he growled, glaring at the man, who recoiled in fear.

"Sorry boss, but we have problems with one prisoner, he managed to cut the ropes and he had almost opened the cage…"

"Can't you even control the friggin' cages? I will see to it, now fuck off" he said and whistled. He turned to me and smiled, the grimace of rage disappeared, but not from his eyes. "I'm sorry, baby, but I gotta go; you know what they say: if you want something done, you have to do it yourself."

Me and my companions watched him stride away in total silence. He reached a group of men, a man was kneeling in the middle; they had turned on a few lights over the cages, so the scene could be seen. Vaas stood in front of the captive with his hands on his hips, scowling furiously at him. The man seemed to be looking to his face in a defiant manner.

"So you want to fuck with me, huh? Trying to escape under my fucking nose" he took out a pistol out of his holster and put it between the man's eyes "want me to blow your brains out? Because that's what you get when you piss me off!" He roared and raised his arm, then pistol-whipped him in the face, some people in the nearby cages shrieked in fear. He pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and index, as if he was trying to calm himself down. "Shame, I can't kill you yet, your family wouldn't pay so much for your body" the man was lying at his feet, probably knocked out; he kicked him in the stomach and spat.

I inhaled deeply when I realised I had stopped breathing. He began to walk towards my cage again, putting his pistol on the holster again. He crouched in the same place as before. I tried to keep my face as blank and expressionless as possible, it didn't strike me as a good idea showing the fear I felt at the moment. He smiled again, as if he wanted to apologise.

"I'm really sorry at what has happened, I was having a little chat with you, wasn't I? By the way, welcome to Rook Island. Why did you land in MY island?" I stood there, not knowing what to say. He raised an eyebrow, looking irritated "hey, hermana, I asked you a fucking question, I expect you to answer it".

I opened my mouth to speak, but I only croaked a bit, I was hoarse after staying under the rain. I cleared my throat "We were flying towards Australia and the plane ran out of fuel…we had to land here, and…your men took us" I supposed he was their superior. He nodded, smiling slightly "yeah, I imagined something like that. We aren't too much into planes, you know? We are used to luxury yachts and that kind of shit…Anyway, this batch is gonna give a shitload of money, you are quite a lot, I hope the work is worth it" I just looked at him as he spoke matter-of-factly about ransoming us to our families. So we had been captured by pirates…

"Well, gotta go, I would stay a bit more, but I am a busy dude, bye chica" he said, winking at me, he got up and he strolled away. I relaxed when he disappeared; the other men in the cage looked at me in a strange manner, a bit hostilely. I looked at them defiantly.

I studied our surroundings, the cages were in some kind of clearing, it had neither trees nor grass. It was probably stripped of vegetation due to the frequent usage. There were many pirates guarding us, they strolled around the cages with their AK-47 slung over their shoulders, or rattling their machetes against the bamboo bars. They spoke in loud voices and where rather foul-mouthed, though you can't really expect nothing else from a pirate, their swear words were punctuated by the screams of the other captives.

I looked sideways at my companions. To my left was the Japanese, he was a small man, the oldest among us, dressed with a shirt and suit trousers, he must have been some kind of business-man; he looked rather numb, his eyes unfocused. In front of me sat the German man, he must have been around my age, he had the tanned skin of someone who spends their time surfing, maybe that's why he went to Australia; like me, he was looking around the place. The English guy was very young, maybe around eighteen, he had some piercings and was trembling with fear.

I fidgeted in my place, trying to get comfortable, but to no avail, I only made my wrists hurt more. I groaned, desperate; were they going to ransom us? How would my parents manage? Those assholes would probably ask for a lot of money, my parents would have to ask for a loan or something. They would be beside themselves with worry…and, if they paid, how the hell would I go back home? It looked as if that island was isolated from the rest of the world, if the pirates had turned it into their lair…

I felt really tired, and I really wanted to fall asleep and forget everything that had happened so far, but sleep wouldn't come… I watched my companions enviously as they fell asleep. But finally, I ended up closing my eyes.

Something cold and wet hit my whole body, I screamed, shocked. I was soaked again, I looked up and saw Vaas holding an upturned bucket just over my head, he was inside the cage with us.

"Wake up, sleepyhead!" he cried in a fake cheery voice. I glared at him, why the fuck did he do that? He pursed his lips and knitted his eyebrows into a scowl. He crouched beside me and grabbed me roughly by the throat. "Don't fucking look at me that way NEVER" he growled, his face very near to mine, I could smell him, a mix between some sweat, tobacco and liquor. I looked into his eyes, trying not to blink. "I…I'm sorry" I croaked, he seemed slightly appeased, the pressure of his fingers around my neck decreased. "I fucking hope so" he grunted, and released me.

"You should thank me, you know, now at least you don't have so much shit on you" he turned away, but he looked at me one the last moment "by the way, red suits you" he said with a wicked smile. I felt my blood creeping up to my face; shit, I didn't want to blush in front of that guy.

When he was about to go out of the cage the boy muttered "asshole" under his breath, Vaas stopped dead in his tracks and turned to him. "What the fuck did you say?" he asked very slowly. The boy shrank on the ground, as if he wished to melt into it; "you say…I am an asshole… don't you, little cocksucker?" He whipped out his pistol "Want a fucking bullet between the eyes, huh? Hey! You fuck! Look at me in the fucking eye! Little fag" the cannon of his gun touched the boy's forehead, who blubbered incoherently.

The pirate was beside himself with anger, his eyes seemed to bore holes into James' skin. "Leave the boy alone, it wasn't his…" the Japanese's words were drowned out by a deafening shot. I looked startled towards the older man, he was dead, a thick stream of blood gushed from a hole in his head. I gasped, some people screamed. Vaas scratched his chin thoughtfully "Shouldn't have killed him…anyway, he wouldn't have been of much use" he said to himself. He looked at other cages, "This is what will happen if someone else defies me!" he roared.

"You two, take the body away" he screamed at two of his men. With that he abandoned the place. They entered and untied the body, then dragged it by its feet, leaving a crimson trail on the mud. Keller and I looked at each other, unable to speak; Newton looked ready to pass out.

Oh, fuck; what the hell am I doing here ¡? I should have arrived to Australia; why did it have to happen? I looked with unease at the blood mixed with the mud. I would have to be very careful with that nutter… what if I had displeased him as much as the Japanese? A shiver ran down my spine, I would have to control myself.

Time passed agonizingly slow, it was horrible being there not being able to move, wasting my time. The sunrays fell upon us mercilessly; we had nothing to shield us from the sun's glare apart from the bamboo bars. I was very thirsty, I wished I could have drunk some of the water the pirate lord had splashed over me. At least my wet clothes kept me fresher, even if they were really uncomfortable. I was hungry too, I hadn't eaten anything since the plane departed, my stomach grumbled. Sometime afterwards a few men untied our hands from the bars, I sighed with relief, examining my wrists, the rope had cut the skin in certain places and they were very sore, but they would heal. They passed three bowls full of a liquid substance through the bars. We threw ourselves to the food. I was some kind of soup, very salty and not very tasty, but it was food after all.

Things were better, now at least I had a full stomach and could sit more comfortably in the cage. I propped my head against the bars and tried to sleep and forget. The raucous voices of the pirates woke me up. I looked up and saw two men walking towards our cage. They opened the door and entered.

"We could start with her" said one of the men, he was shirtless and wore a red bandana around the head, he grinned lewdly with is yellowing teeth. Although he probably towered over me, he was smaller and thinner than his companion, who was a behemoth of a man, he had a red piece of fabric around his mouth and wore aviator sunglasses.

"Yeah, let's get her" said the big man in a deep voice, I couldn't see his expression because his face was covered. I bared my teeth, frightened, I didn't know exactly what they were going to do, but I could imagine it, and I didn't like it. The smaller man grabbed me by the hair and forced me to get up, he shoved me against his companion, he gripped my arms roughly and dragged me outside de cages. They took me outside the ring of cages, near the jungle trees. The big man threw me to the ground, I looked at them with a knot in my stomach.

The smaller man lifted me, I tried to resist, but he just slapped me. He grabbed my arms and kicked my legs apart, so that I would be in that kind of spread-eagled position. I could feel his breath behind my neck. The other man flexed his fingers and hands, making them crack.

"Don't worry, honey, we won't be too harsh" then, unexpectedly he balled his hand into a fist and hit my mouth. My head snapped back, I screamed in shock and pain. He slapped me hard and then backhanded me across the face. I spat some blood into the ground, why were they doing this? I had done nothing wrong…I glared at the man, wishing I could hit him back.

He laughed at my expression, I spat at his face with rage. He punched me in the stomach in return, I would have doubled in half if it hadn't been for the other man. "I think this bitch hasn't had enough, maybe we could have some more fun with her". "I dunno" said the other "Vaas said we couldn't fuck them", I shivered, they wanted to rape me. "He doesn't have to know" said the big man shrugging himself.

He grabbed the hem of my shorts and took them down, he forced me to lift one foot to put them away. The other one began to bite my neck viciously, I groaned in disgust. The big man cupped my crotch with one of his strong hands. "Asshole!" I shrieked "you fucking…" he slapped me again, then he took out a knife and sliced the straps of my panties, leaving me exposed, he took them to his nose and sniffed deeply, "I will keep them as a souvenir" he added malevolently. Then he cut the front of my tank top and pushed my bra up, he grunted at the sight of my breasts; "dude, you should see her tits, they are fucking awesome." He began to fondle them and pinch my nipples with his calloused hands, I groaned in outrage. The other man began to grind his pelvis against my butt, I could feel the bulge in his pants.

"Hold her wrists, I want to get a grab too" said the other one hoarsely, the big one got hold of my wrists and held them over my head, I had to stay almost on my tiptoes. The man behind me grabbed my breasts and twisted them painfully, I moaned in pain, his hands descended to my hips, and he pressed my buttocks against his crotch, while he rubbed his erection up and down. I wanted to vomit; he kept holding me with one hand and slid the other between my legs.

"Wow, bald like baby's bottom, I love it that way" he exclaimed. He rubbed his fingers up and down the outside of my cleft, pulling at the flesh with his fingers. I hissed, trying to shake him off me, he slapped my thighs.

"What the fuck is going on here?!" roared a familiar voice, the two men released me, I lost balance and fell to the ground. I saw a pair of military boots coming towards us. I raised my eyes and saw Vaas, I could have felt almost relieved if it hadn't been for the expression in his face, he looked daggers at the other two man, seething with rage. "I told you…no! I ordered you not to fuck the women! I fucking told you and you disobeyed ME!" he knocked his chest with both hands as he said it. In his rage, his eyes were so open that they looked ready to pop out.

"Sorry, Vaas, but the bitch..." stammered the big man. "SHUT THE FUCK UP!" he roared "I don't give a fuck. Did you think I would never know? Did you really fucking think that?" he took out a long knife and put it against the big man's neck. The man seemed terrified, even though he was bigger than Vaas, the other one recoiled slightly. "Marco, Ben; come get this two fucks, I will take care of them later" hissed Vaas, baring his teeth menacingly. Two men came and took those two, pointing their weapons at their backs.

I stood motionless in the ground, half naked, my heart seemed about to explode. Now I could feel the pain of their beating, my face felt on fire and I had a dull pain on my stomach. Someone crouched beside me, it was Vaas. He still looked angry, but not as much as before. I slipped my bra into place, I didn't feel like showing my tits to everyone. "I'm sorry for that", he said and took my chin in his hand, examining my face with interest. "They will regret it. Now, dress yourself and I will take you back to the cage", I didn't trust him, but better him than those other two.

The tank was ruined, I would have to wear it like this; at least I had my bra. My shorts were twisted in the ground, hooked around my ankle, I slipped them on as well as I could. When I finally stood up Vaas caught my arm, firmly but not roughly. and guided me towards my cage, I let him take me there.

We entered the cage zone, people stared at us, especially at me, I owed it to my dishevelled state, and the probably darkening bruises on my face. "What the fuck are you staring at, huh?" growled Vaas.

He opened the door of my cage, my other companions looked startled and frightened, he pushed me slightly inside by the shoulder. He closed the door behind me. I saw him stalk away by the corner of my eye. I sat in my usual place, leaning against the bars, I pressed my fingers against my eyes. "Are you ok?" asked a male voice from inside the cage. I opened the cage, it was the Keller guy.

"More or less, could be worse, though" I flinched thinking how the thing would have ended if Vaas hadn't appeared. "Why did they took you out?" he asked, "I don't know, they started to hit me and they decided to try to rape me". I wished he wouldn't speak more, I just wanted to forget.

Then two more men came towards our cage. I looked at them warily, were they coming for me? They opened the cage but didn't even look at me, they went straight for Newton. He screamed and resisted, but they punched him in the mouth so he would shut up; were they going to beat us all for no reason? I heard some screams far away, but they were rather usual in the camp. Keller was very pale and sweaty, he knew he was next.

After a while the soldiers came with Newton shuffling his feet, one of his eyes was closed and his left cheek had a nasty cut. They threw him to the ground and went straight for Keller, he tried to kick one of them in the groin, one smashed his foot against Keller's jaw. They dragged him outside.

I wished all this was a dream, that I could wake up at any moment and find myself at home, safe and sound. But the cruel truth was that this was real, that I would have to go through this ordeal. Hopefully my parents would pay the ransom, and I would be able to go back. But, it was a very dim hope, I really didn't see any way of escaping this.

After a while they brought Keller again, his nose looked broken and it bled profusely, he looked half knocked out. They shoved him into the cage and he fell to the ground. When the pirates had disappeared I crawled to him and examined him. His nose kept bleeding, I had to staunch it somehow. I looked at my ruined tank and took it off, crumpled it and pressed it carefully against his nose. I opened his eyes carefully, to see whether he was conscious or not, I moved a finger in front of him, he followed it; I supposed he was getting back. "What…" his voice sounded croaky; "you passed out, looks like they beat you hard" I answered. He propped himself against an elbow "Ow, my fucking head, those fucking bastards" he said with a pronounced German accent.

"You should rest, sit and keep your face down" he did as I told him. I came back to my place and sat. He looked at me, frowning "what happened to your shirt?", "you're holding it". He took it from his nose and looked at it, "I could use mine if you want", I scoffed "it is ruined, let's give it some use." I closed my eyes, my head was pounding painfully. I tried to forget the moans and whimpers from the other cages, the screams and the voices of the pirates.

They were taking more people out of their cages, most of them resisted, fought or pleaded, others just sobbed, resigned. Night came with its shadows, we were defeated in our cages, weak, thirsty and hungry. I needed to go to the bathroom, but I wasn't willing to ask the guards for permission, they would probably hit me and tell me to do it in the cage. Finally, I realised it was the only option; the best thing would be to do it where the Japanese had been, I wouldn't soil my mates' space and the soil was slightly inclined, so the urine was liable to go out of the cage.

There was still blood in that spot, I remembered how Vaas had shot the poor man, I wrinkled my nose in disgust before crouching and putting my pants down. I sighed in relief, then I felt the sting of a slap on my buttocks. I turned, full of anger, a pirate had sneaked up to me and taken advantage of my situation; he grinned at my expression, then left chuckling.

When I finished I retreated to my corner, drawing distractedly on the ground. The pirates looked in a good mood, maybe because they had had some fun with the prisoners. Had they tried to rape more women? Probably yes, they were violent and bored soldiers who only wished to destroy and have their way with everything. I heard a noise and lifted my head, Keller was crawling toward his usual place. "Has the bleeding stopped?" I asked, he nodded slightly. His nose looked broken and the bruises were darkening.

"Thanks for the shirt", he said and he threw it at me, I caught it. Not only was it torn and stained with mud, now it had big splatters of blood on it. I decided to put it on as if it was a vest, at least the bamboo bars wouldn't dig against the bare skin of my back. Newton looked half asleep, he probably didn't want to talk.

We sat there for hours, with nothing more interesting to do besides looking at the other cages and at the soldiers. Night came and they turned on the lights; I hoped against hope that they would bring us some more food, but it never came. I was tired, even though I had been sitting there most of the day. I took off my ruined top and bundled into some kind of pillow, then curled into a foetal position in the ground and fell asleep.


	2. Chapter 2- Dark

**Hello everyone :)**

**The second chapter of the story, I've been rather creative the last week and I hope to continue this way, I have already have some ideas.**

**By the way, I want to express my gratitude to those who had read this, those who have suscribed to this fanfic, and to Sera22 for her review, it was really encouraging. **

**As you know, this story has an M rating, in this case for language and some violence. **

**I do not own Far Cry, nor none of its characters.**

**That's pretty much what I had to say, thank you very much for reading this. And, if you have any reviews or critics, don't hesitate to post ;)**

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I woke up in the morning, everything was as usual, pirates walking by the cages with their guns and miserable people inside the cages, dirty and tired. They brought us some food sooner than yesterday, I wondered why. It was just a bowl of stale rice, but it was something, they also gave us some water. We sat there for a long while but, at some point, a crowd of pirates came to the cages and began to take people out; it wasn't long before the captives began to scream and resist. Three men walked towards our cage, entered and forced us to our feet, they dragged us outside, one of them pinched one of my breasts while they tied our hands behind our backs. Their pushed us forth with the tip of their guns, Keller and I looked at each other with fear in our eyes, Newton looked too far gone.

While we were walking something caught my eye. On one side of the trail some improvised gallows had been built. I recognised the two corpses dangling in their nooses; the pirates who had tried to rape me. Their faces appeared darker; the smaller man's face was contracted in agony, and the big man's neck looked twice as long as before. They swayed silently in the air, like sinister puppets. He had punished them; and then, a part of me felt a strange and disturbing pleasure, they deserved it.

They took us out of the camp and loaded us up into a truck; we crammed there together, silent. We were quite a few, what had they in store for us? Were they going to kill us and bury us in some unmarked mass grave? I tried to take those gruesome thoughts out of my head, but it was difficult.

We had been driven through the jungle for two whole hours before we stopped, my legs were numb from lack of use. We jumped off the truck and they guided us over a dusty trail. Then we came to what would have been a beautiful cove if it hadn't been for the pirates' shanties and tents. We marched down a steep slope and then entered some kind of cave. The place had a rusty smell, dirty; there were pirates putting drugs into plastic bags. We turned the corner and Vaas was there, he looked in a good mood.

"Well, good afternoon to all of you" he greeted, we stood there in a tense silence, he frowned. "When someone greets you, he expects you to greet him back. Come on, say good afternoon" he said in a harsher tone. Some mutinous, scattered "good afternoon" echoed in the dark cave. "Oh, that's fucking disappointing. Anyway, to business, you two take ten of them to the cages, and you three come to the other room with the other ten. Let's see if we can speed things up."

The two pirates forced those who were in the back of the group to go with them. Unfortunately, I was in the group that stayed: Keller, a young woman with a toddler whom I hadn't noticed before, a businessman with a muddied suit, other three guys near my own age, a middle-aged woman and two teenage girls. They pushed us into a dimly lit room.

"Sit down" they ordered. We fell to the ground, silently, fearing what was to come, whatever it was. Vaas came toward us, he was smiling, though there was something quite disturbing in the way he did it.

"Well, welcome to Pirate Cove. I think you are wondering why we are here, and I'm pleased to tell you that today we're going to record your ransom videos, you know, so your families know you are here, and that kind of stuff. I see my men have put some colour in your face; sorry about the inconvenience, but families pay sooner if their loved ones are a little bit battered up." He talked in the impersonal and polite way of a flight attendant, though his smile was rather unsettling.

"I strongly advise you to cooperate, because I can be really fucking nasty when I'm pissed off, so…don't do anything you would regret later", his tone darkened, some of the captives shivered or looked at the ground.

"Let's start with…" he pointed at us alternatively "you" he said to one of the teenagers. Her face streamed with tears when one of the guards dragged her to a chair in the centre of the room. Beside it was a table with braces on it, and a little wheeled table full of what looked like vicious, sharp and rusty chirurgical devices, I imagined what they were for.

"What is your name, chica?" he asked, trying to soothe her.

"Angela Johnson" she sobbed, he petted her face with the back of his finger "shhh, everything is gonna be ok, just do as I say" he said gently. It was like watching a wolf trying to calm down a rabbit.

"Write your parents' address here" he gave her a scrap of paper and a pencil. She did it and gave him the piece of paper. "Ok, now I will record the video. Tell your parents they have to send 500.000 dollars to an account that will appear on the video, and that if there is no money in two weeks…we will kill you" at this the girl cried harder and louder. 500.000 dollars? I felt my heart sink, it was a lot of money, my parents wouldn't be able to pay. I felt ready to faint.

"Yeah, tears, that's it", he said with a vicious expression, but keeping his tone gentle. "Tell them how you came here, but don't talk for too long." He picked up a little digital camera from a chair.

"Three, two, one, action" he said. The girl stood there like a statue. "Come on, honey, say something to your dad and mom."

"Mommy, Daddy" she choked.

"Yes, well done" he encouraged, while he held the camera to his eye and prowled around the girl.

"I…I've been k-k-kidnapped. These men will kill me if you don't pay a ransom of…" her voice trailed off.

"500.000 dollars, say it, little girl."

"500.000 dollars to the number that appears on the video, you have to send it before fourteen days. Please Mom, Please Dad, I love you. I wanna go home" she broke down into hysterical sobs.

A little beep sounded, I supposed he had turned the camera off. "Well done, honey, well done. Go back with the others."

She got up, still sobbing tearfully. She sat down beside her friend, whom Vaas called next. The process repeated itself with the other girl, who cried silently during the video. Keller told Vaas to "go fuck himself" and earned himself a hard punch in the mouth that knocked out two of his teeth. He obeyed Vaas' orders after that, his mouth was covered in blood. Keller shuffled back to the group and dropped to the ground, his shoulders hunched forwards. Vaas walked toward the group again, he looked at us while he lit a cigarette, the little ember glowed in the dim room.

His eyes fell on the mother with her child, who pressed the little girl harder against her chest. A wolfish smile appeared on the pirate's mouth. He walked to her and crouched. His smile grew even wider when the woman began to tremble with fear.

"Hi, you have a very beautiful baby girl, you know?" he said gently, but his face was twisted into a crooked smile. The mother hugged her daughter even harder, making her burst into tears. "Poor little thing, give her to me, I'll calm her down" the mother shook her head. Vaas glowered at her. "Hey, if you don't give me the fucking baby I will put a bullet through her head" he growled. The woman cried with her daughter and held her in front of Vaas, who threw away the half-consumed cigarette took the baby carefully. He stood upright with the little girl on one arm.

"See your mommy there?" He asked the little girl, "she loves you very much and she will do everything I say." The baby began to wail again, she wanted to go back to her mom; Vaas' expression darkened. Would he kill the little baby just for crying? "Shhhhh, come on, don't cry, I will give you a little toy."

Afterwards, he took his pistol out of his holster and showed it to the baby. The baby grabbed the pistol with both hands, making her mother cry even louder. Vaas looked at her "don't worry, I have the safety on." he tried to reassure her. The little girl tried to put the muzzle into her mouth to explore it. Vaas put it back in his holster, "tut, tut, don't suck on that, God knows where it has been." he chided.

"Please, don't hurt her, I will do everything you want, just don't hurt her" sobbed the mother. "Hey, you suckers, see that? How nice everything would be if you cooperated like her" he said to the rest of us; my companions lowered their gaze or tried to hide in the shadows. I felt as if someone had stabbed me in the stomach and was twisting the knife inside; how dared he? He was a cruel, psychopathic murderer who threatened a mother with killing her baby.

"Ok, you sit on the chair and I will do the rest, don't worry for the baby, we will take care of her" he looked around the room until his eyes fell upon me. I looked at him, he was up to something that involved me. He smiled slightly and pointed at me with his fingers, ordering me to wake up with a movement of his free hand.

"You, come here and take the baby" I stood up, my legs were numb after all the time I had been sitting on the floor. "Keep her quiet, for fucks sake" he said when the baby started weeping again; I took the baby carefully from his arms. "Now sit in front of the mother, but not too near, I need space so I can move around"

. I rocked on the spot, trying to soothe the baby, she quieted down until she was just hiccupping. I sat where Vaas had told me, the mother looked full of fear at her daughter, I looked at her apologetically; I didn't want to do it, but the pirate would kill me otherwise.

"Ok, your baby will be with that beautiful girl from there until we finish. She will have to keep the little one silent, because if she cries…" he slid a finger across his throat, the mother whimpered. I kept rocking the baby, praying she would fall asleep, but her mother was sobbing hard, and the baby perceived her nervousness, she fidgeted in my arms.

"Tell the baby's dad and her granny that you are here and that they have to pay 500.000 dollars, 400.000 for you and 100.000 for the baby; that if they don't we will kill you and all that shit." The mother nodded, trembling as she did it, she looked ready to vomit.

Vaas recorded her ransom video, the mother sobbed while she talked. But she was coherent enough, everything for the sake of the baby, who was entertained pulling my hair. It hurt a bit, but better that than having her killed.

The mother was a nervous wreck when Vaas finally turned off the camera. I looked at him, wanting to know if I should give her the baby. He made a gesture for me to wake up. The mother hugged her child and walked to her place silently. I was about to follow her when I felt a hand on my shoulder, it was Vaas.

"Hey, not so fucking fast, chica; it's your turn, sit down" I sat on that rickety chair, looking at him warily. He looked at me intently; a greenish gleam caught my eye. He wore some kind of greenish stone dangling from a leather cord around his neck. He crouched in front of me and took my torn top between his fingers.

"You look like shit, hermana; pity they had to ruin it, red looked great on you." I felt terribly exposed, I only had my bra to cover the upper part of my body, and he was too near, I could feel the heat from his body. "What about those blood stains?" he asked.

"One of my cage companions was bleeding through the nose, so I gave it to him to keep the blood from flowing so much" I answered quietly, he grunted in acquiescence. He stood up and looked at me with his hand on his hips.

"Your name was…" I opened my mouth to tell him, but he didn't even let start. "No, no, no, no; don't tell me, it's on the tip of my tongue." He paced up and down, knocking the side of his head with his fist, his eyes closed tight in concentration. "It was something with an S, like Spain" he said to himself. "Oh, now I remember, was it Sofía?" I nodded.

"By the way Sofía, did you see the gallows at the camp?" he asked, hitting his fist against his other palm, as if he had suddenly remembered it. "Yes…I saw them…" I answered, remembering those men dangling from the ropes. "Don't you have anything to say…like, thanks Vaas?" he said, crouching next to my face, looking straight into my eyes.

"Thanks Vaas" I muttered, I looked away, remembering what those men had tried to do with me and felt the rage boiling up inside me. He caught my chin and lifted my face, and frowned thoughtfully. Then, he straightened himself up and gave me a scrap of paper and a gnawed and battered pencil. I scribbled down my parents address and handed it to the pirate, he studied it with interest.

"Ok, your ransom is 300.000 dollars, they have to send it to the account and all that shit." So, that was it, I had to act for a ransom video, when I could already be in Australia worrying just about the paperwork. What would my parents think when they saw me? I could only imagine my appearance: dirty and tangled hair, bruised and swollen face, a torn top and, on top of it, covered in blood. They would be dead with worry, would they be able to call the police or get some help? There was a raging storm of questions inside my head.

I came back to reality when the pirate turned on the camera. I felt the blood draining from my face, I licked my lips, they were dry and chapped. How should I start? I gripped the edges of the chair, the lens was fixed on me, and Vaas behind it.

"Mom, dad…I'm sorry" I blurted out. "My plane had to land on this island because of the fuel…and the pirates took us." I paused for breath.

"They want a ransom of 300…300…300.000 dollars within two weeks, or they will kill me" I could imagine my mother fainting when she heard those words. "You have to send them to the number account that appears on the screen."

"I…I love you" I tried to speak slowly and clearly so my voice wouldn't be so shaky.

Vaas took the camera away from his face and turned off the device. He looked at me for a few seconds, as if he was studying me. I stood there as still as a statue.

"Well, that's it; I would have liked more emotion, you know, some tears and sobs; they are usually very effective with the families. However, having your tank torn open and a bruised face might be even more useful." I would have wanted to ask him if he was a judge for the Oscar Ransom Awards or what.

"Can I go back to my place?" I asked in a polite tone, trying not to sound brusque or demanding.

"Yes, you have my permission" he said with a big smile on his face. I retreated to my place; I realised he enjoyed doing this, filming the videos; did he like seeing people suffering so much? Probably, otherwise he wouldn't be a pirate and a kidnapper.

Vaas followed me and chose the businessman as the next one. I became lost in thought and what was beyond me turned hazy and distant. I wished this was just a bad nightmare, I prayed I could pinch my arm and wake up in my bed. The middle aged woman pleaded to her family to rescue her, one of the young men tried to spit at Vaas, who kicked him in the groin in punishment.

The pirate lord lit another cigarette when he was finished, took a long drag while he looked at us; his eyes lingered on me for a moment. A strange sensation coursed through my body, I looked back at him, my five senses sharpened. He bared his white teeth in some kind of cruel smile, I tried to repress a shiver, but I didn't take my eyes away from his.

He turned away from us; I realised that my muscles were taut, as if I was ready to spring. They ordered us to stand up and pushed us out of the room. I was able to breath with more ease when we left the room. They forced the other group to enter into the room, they looked tired and full of dread.

We went to other room, there were some cages, this time made of metal and crowned with barbed wire. We entered into them in pairs, as they were a lot smaller than the ones at the camp. They put me there with the guy that had been kicked by Vaas; he looked dizzy and didn't look like wanting to talk. I preferred it this way, what was the point in getting friendly with someone I would probably never see again?

The guards sat on a battered couch with their weapons aiming at us, leering at us and making "witty" remarks like: "we wouldn't be so bored if we could take those hoes out of there and have some fun with them" or "look at the cocksucker with the suit, he's gonna puke, ha ha!"

Time crept by and we were still there, some of my companions lay on their cages, their eyes unfocused, others kept rocking themselves back and forth. This was hell on earth, we were the sinners condemned to suffer, the pirates the demons and Vaas was the devil himself. My cage mate had begun to mutter profanities to himself, insulting the pirate lord.

"That motherfucking son of a bitch, I will fucking kill him and kick his balls off, fucking cocksucker…" I stopped paying attention to his whispers, they were giving me a headache. I leaned against the cold bars and examined my hands. They were dirty, and under my nails there was a reddish-black substance, probably a mixture of blood and mud; I still had yellowing bruises around my wrists from the ropes.

I felt hungry again, the pirates had brought some food for them, but not for us. We stared at them with a ravenous expression in our eyes. If we had the means, if we had the weapons and the courage we could overcome them so easily, put them into these cages and make them suffer like us. However, the harrowing truth was that we were the prisoners, and there was no possible escape, or so it seemed.

They opened the cages a long time afterwards, my mate and I left the cages, our limbs numb and sore from the bars. We emerged from the room at the same time as the others, did we look as defeated and weak as them?

The sun blinded me for a moment when we finally abandoned the cave, the pirates lazed around, played cards or cleaned their weapons. We trudged up the slope and climbed into the trucks as well as we could, I sat on a far corner and hugged my knees, at least I was far from our guards. I didn't feel like being raped or fondled by one of those assholes, maybe the gallows weren't too big a deterrent for them. After an hour or so of being driven by earthy roads in the jungle we reached the camp. "Home, sweet home", I thought with a strange and wicked pleasure.

This time we changed cages, I had to share it with the woman with the baby and an old man, from the other group. He looked weary and he had a black eye, we sat there in silence, looking at each other with curiosity and mistrust at the same time.

"You held my baby while he was making the video." said the mother.

"Yes." I answered quietly.

"Thanks for keeping Anne quiet, that psycho would have killed her if she had cried, I'm sure of it." she said, she grew pale when she remembered it.

"You don't have to thank me." I replied, a bit embarrassed.

"You were from Spain, weren't you?" she asked.

"Yeah, I was going to study for a year in Australia…" I replied, leaning against the bars, the baby was asleep in her mother's arms,

"I'm from England, I was travelling to New Zealand to meet with my husband, we decided to move to his country after Anne was born…oh my God, he must be so worried…I was supposed to meet him today at the airport." she suddenly burst into tears.

I stood there awkwardly, I felt pity for her, but I didn't know what to do, I had no idea about how to comfort her. I felt very hopeless myself, I didn't see any way out of this nightmare. The old man reacted for the first time and patted her in the knee, he looked sad and resigned.

We didn't talk after that, each one deep in their musings. What would happen with me? Would my parents be able to pay all that money? If not…I could picture myself kneeling on the ground while Vaas shot me in the head, end of the story. He was a mad man and a fiend, pleading for my life would be of no use. I dug my nails into my hands and gritted my teeth.

I didn't want to die, and I would do everything that was in my hand to survive; but that pirate didn't look like a man you could reason with, he was someone who wanted to have his way with everything, no matter how.

It was late in the afternoon, we had been for a long while in the cave; the pirates strolled between the bars, making coarse jokes and laughing raucously at us. I realised they were like hyenas, prowling in search of carrion, an easy prey to benefit from. We were the dying deer bleeding in the ground, weak and defenceless, watching our fate getting nearer and nearer.

I stretched myself on the ground, keeping my side against the bars. I needed to move, do something; I missed running in the morning and doing every day activities like tidying up my room or even washing the dishes. I looked at the clear blue sky sliced by the bamboo bars; if I ever get home I will have a cool tan, I thought. I smiled wryly.

I fidgeted, trying to find a comfortable position, I was getting even dirtier, did it really matter? I already stank, I needed a shower urgently. I was uncomfortable, I had to go to the bathroom, not just for peeing. I didn't want to do it in the cage, what if I called one of the guards and convinced him of letting me out for a moment?

I looked thoughtfully at the guards, there was a boy even younger than me, maybe that would be the easiest one to sway. He was a tall black guy, not as bulky as his companions, his muscles were more wiry and compact, he also wore camo pants and a red shirt with a skull. I prepared myself, if I didn't convince him he would probably hit me or something.

"Excuse me" he turned at me, as if surprised by my politeness. "I have to go to the bathroom and I don't want to leave all the stink here…could you take me out for a moment?"

"Why the fuck would I do something like that? Shut the fuck up, bitch" he spat with a deep Somalian accent and began to turn away.

"Oh, come on…" I said coyly, I tried to smile at him and look flirty; the sensible part of my mind was yelling at me for being so stupid. "I have to go now, if I do it here it will stink for you too…with all this heat. I won't do nothing, I promise, you can tie me up and everything."

He ogled brazenly at my breasts, his mouth half open. Good, I had found a hornball; what if he tried to force me when I was out? He grunted and opened the padlock that closed the cage.

I stood up, he grabbed me roughly by the arm and pulled me out of the cage. Then, he tied my hands behind my back with a length of duct tape.

"Don't want any fucking games, or I'll beat the shit ouf of you, understood, bitch?" he said while he fondled my breasts with the hand that didn't hold his rifle. I restrained myself from insulting him and trying to kick in the shins. He pushed me with the tip of his gun and slid his other hand over my buttocks.

I began to walk out of the circle of cages, with that creep behind me, touching me all the time. We walked for a good two minutes, at least I could move a bit, even with my hands tied and that sucker close behind me.

"You can do it here" he said, grabbing me to make me stop. "Get over with it" he said slapping my thigh.

"Do you expect me to do it with my pants on, or what?" I snapped, more and more irritated. "Calm down, Sofía" I thought. "I mean, you could untie me so I could put them down…"

He clicked his tongue, annoyed. "No fucking way I'm gonna do that, I'll put them down myself" he said, and he stood in front of me. I stiffened when I felt his hands fumbling with my zip, he smiled at me teasingly.

"Don't you want anything besides of taking a shit?" he asked while he let my shorts fall with a dull thud to the ground.

"No, not right now, but thanks" I replied coldly. I squatted and looked at him.

"Can I have some…intimacy?" he rolled his eyes and turned around.

I relieved myself, still a bit uncomfortable at having the pirate so near. I looked longingly at the jungle that spread itself before me; if I hadn't my hands tied…and if that guy didn't had a gun… I stood up, I felt my blood rushing to my face. I was almost naked, with my torn top and my pants down.

"Can you…" he grunted, irritated, and put my shorts into place, visibly embarrassed.

"Are you finished?" he glared at me.

"Yeah, I suppose so."

"Sure? Wanna miss this?" he said grabbing his crotch with a mocking grin.

"Yeah, pretty sure" he pushed me forwards and I began to walk to the cages. "Back to the fold" I thought, the people inside the cages looked at me with glassy eyes, some of them looked like living dead, their mouths half open, distraught. They were dirty, as dirty as me, or even more; their skin had bruises from having been beaten by the pirates. Some of them had a bad sunburn after spending so much time under the sun.

The pirate cut away the tape with a knife when we were near my cage, he opened the door and pushed me inside. He turned away without saying anything else. My companions said nothing, I just sat in my usual place.

It was getting dark, de camp was more silent than usual, almost subdued. Maybe the other captives were tired after the ransom videos; maybe they had realised it was pointless to complain, cry or scream. I scratched a sting in my leg, I had several on my back, but I had been wise enough not to scratch them. They were probably from mosquitoes or maybe fleas, they had dogs at the camp, I had heard them bark in the night.

The mother and the child had fallen asleep, however, the old man looked as awake as I. We stood there in silence, there was nothing to say, no chit chat to shroud the reality that lay before us. I slumped against the bars and looked at the inky sky. There were no clouds or moon, and we couldn't see the stars because of the lamps that hung over the cages.

I began to doze off with my back against the bars. I curled on the ground and fell asleep, fell into forgetfulness.


	3. Chapter 3- Mud

**Hi everyone :D**

**So, here I have the third chapter of this story. It took me some time to write it, and I hope it was worth the time. **

**I'm feel really grateful to those who have read this fanfic and the ones who suscribed to it. Thanks a lot to Badi- otaku for her review to the second chapter.**

**This chapter contains rather graphic violence and smut language.**

**I do not own Far Cry, nor none of its characters.**

**Again, thank you very much for reading this story. I hope you like how it is developing. Finally, as always, if you have any reviews or critics feel free to post ;)**

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I felt voices and paces around me; I sat up hastily, looking around me with bleary eyes. Our cage was surrounded by pirates, holding their weapons and looking at us in silence. I looked at a figure in the ground, it was Vaas. He was sitting cross-legged on the ground, his chin propped against his hand, which held his gun. He had it cocked towards me. "What the hell?" I thought, still confused.

"Good morning, it was time you woke up" I looked sideways discreetly, not wanting him to think I was ignoring him. The woman was hugging tightly her child against herself; the old man looked was as pale as death, pressing his back against the bars as if he wanted to go through them.

I looked back at the man sitting in front of me; I didn't know what to do, couldn't bring myself to say anything. Why were they there? Had he found out that I had come out of the cage yesterday? I felt a dull pain in the pit of my stomach.

"Take the women out of the cage" he barked to two of his men; I stood up when they did it; I wouldn't let them drag me out this time. The woman resisted, she crawled into a corner with the baby against her, holding her for dear life. One of the men tried to pry her arms away from the baby.

"Hey, blondie, leave the baby with the old geezer" commanded Vaas, aiming his gun at her.

Crying, she did as she was told and we came out of the cage.

"Sit" he said, pointing at the space in front of him. Obediently, we sat some distance away from him. He put back his gun into his belt and took out a matchbox and a package of Marlboro cigarettes. He lit the cigarette with a match and took a drag. He didn't take his eyes away from us. Then our eyes met, I didn't like the way he looked at me, his lips curled into a cunning smile. I stood there, as if transfixed by his gaze, my body felt numb; I felt fear.

"Cigarette?" he offered us the package, I didn't trust so much friendliness…it was clear he wanted something in exchange. What it was, I didn't know if I wanted to discover it. The other woman and I said nothing; he raised an eyebrow and put the cigarettes back into one of his pockets.

"Ok, then, no fucking cigarettes for you," he said with a sigh. He turned to one of his subordinates. "You, bring them their food." The man scampered away hastily.

"I wonder how he makes a big guy like him run like that do his bidding." I thought, we sat there in silence, with the pirate still looking at us.

"I know you are wondering why I have taken you out of your cages, but…all good things to those who wait. Must be hot there, isn't it?" The other woman looked at the ground; she was as clueless as to what to do as I. The pirate's expression darkened visibly, his nostrils flared in anger and scowled at her.

"Hey, blondie, look at me when I fucking talk to you," she looked up and her lip trembled. "That's fucking better, remember what I can you to your daughter," he pointed at the cage with his hand mimicking a pistol and imitated the sound of a gun. I saw how the young mother cringed at the sound; Vaas observed her reaction like a predator in front of his prey.

Suddenly, the pirate who had left reappeared holding a bowl with each hand. He put it in the ground in front of us; it had a mouth-watering smell. It made me even more suspicious; why would they feed us with something that nice instead of the lousy food we had been given the other days? It was a big bowl of spiced rice with vegetables and meat, probably something the pirates usually ate.

"What are you waiting for? Eat," commanded the pirate, pushing the bowl towards me. "It's not poisoned you know? Besides, why the fuck would I do it? There are things way more funny than poison…" It was really unnerving hearing someone talk about murder in such an offhand way, as if it was something really commonplace. Though, now that I come to think of it, it was something _normal _for that man.

I took little pinch of rice with some meat and put it gingerly in my mouth; it was rather spicy, but it was good. I looked from the corner of my eye at the other woman, she had taken the bowl in her hands and was sniffing tentatively. Nevertheless, I still felt suspicion gnawing my insides; I swallowed with some difficulty.

"Come on, eat fast; we gotta go soon," he said. I nearly choked on the mouthful I was chewing, go where? Where were they taking us? I saw my companion –I didn't remember her name, though I had heard it during the ransom video- hastily cramming a big fistful of rice into her mouth. I tried to eat faster, not wanting to provoke the pirate any further. He sat there deep in his musings, looking at us while toying with one of the braided leather bracelets around his wrists.

"Ok, that's fucking enough, stand up," he said when we had our bowls nearly empty. We left the bowls on the ground and got on our feet, we waited there; I could feel a knot of fear in my stomach. "Take off your clothes, everything."

We were frozen in our place, "what the hell?" I thought. "Please, not again…" Were they going to rape us, torture us, what? Why else would he want us to do that? I clenched my fists when I remembered the hands of those two pirates all over me.

"YOU FUCKING DEAF?" he roared, and reality trapped me again. "You take off those fucking clothes or my men will do it, would you like that, huh?" the mother began to fumble with the buttons of her shirt, tears rolling down her face.

Resigned, I shrugged my shoulders to let my torn top fall to the ground. Did I have to take my trainers too? I supposed I would have to; I crouched and untied the laces and took them with my socks. I straightened myself up and, swallowing hard, I reached behind my back to unclasp my bra. Vaas was staring at me; there was a strange look in his eyes, like…hunger. He smiled wickedly when my bra fell. I took a deep breath and hooked my fingers under the waistband of my shorts and put them down. I stepped out of them.

The other pirates wolf-whistled and stared at us lecherously. Their lord whipped around to face them, he looked daggers at them. "Hey, you cocksuckers; don't be so fucking rude, these are two beautiful ladies, not whores from Bad Town, understood?" they turned their eyes to the ground. I took a glance towards the other woman; she was trying to cover herself with her hands, one against her crotch and the other trying to hide her breasts. There was no point in covering myself; they had already seen everything there was to see. And I hated to look vulnerable before those men.

"Ok, follow me," said the pirate lord, he began to walk towards the main camp area. The blond woman and I looked at each other, both filled with desperation and uncertainty. Were they taking us to the camp to whore us out? I imagined those cruel, dirty men queuing for a few minutes of sex. I bit my lower lip until I felt the metallic taste of blood in my mouth.

Vaas strode forwards on and on, making us walk beside the cages; the other prisoners watched our strange parade: the pirate lord at the front, the other woman and I, totally naked, and three of his minions at the end. I felt the heat of embarrassment in my face; we were in front of Keller's and Newton's cage, they gawked at us.

I could hear the bustling noises of the camp, it must be plagued with pirates. I could feel my breasts bouncing slightly with every step, and the little stones in the trail hurt my bare feet. We entered the main area; there was a big space among the shanties and huts from the pirates. It was crowded with men who leered at us and whistled, screaming full of excitement.

Their boss came toward us and slid his arms around hers and my shoulders; he kept us there, as if he was a rock star and us his two groupies. His scent hit me harder, although he didn't smell as bad as the other day, though there was still a lingering whiff of tobacco, sweat and gunpowder; I could also feel the heat of his arm over my shoulders and neck. He pushed us forward; the crowd opened to let us inside a circle in the middle of the mob.

The pirates began to talk dirty to us, I heard one yell: "eh guapa, te voy a poner una naranja en la boca y te voy a comer el chocho hasta que salga zumo!"[1] I felt grateful that the blond woman didn't understand it, she was a bundle of nerves; I could see her trembling under Vaas' arm.

We came to a halt at the brink of the circle. It was a great circular area and, for some reason, the ground was extremely muddy, as if they had poured litres and litres of water over it. I felt myself slip on the slick surface; Vaas grabbed my arm and held me against him so I wouldn't fall. "How nice of him," I thought bitterly.

I looked around myself, we were surrounded by pirates; I felt my mouth go dry and a twisting sensation inside my bowels. What were they going to do? A pirate came to us holding a megaphone, the pirate lord let us go and picked it.

"Morning, gents," he said through the megaphone with an excited and cruel smile on his face. "I have a little surprise for you, cocksuckers. You see, I have noticed that you have been a bit demoralized these days; I know, I fucking know, this island is so damn boring…BUT" he said raising his arm with his index pointing upwards "I have the solution. See these ladies here? Pretty, aren't they?" he slid his free hand around my shoulders again, pulling me close to him; the other pirates laughed and whistled appreciatively. I felt my body stiffening under his touch.

"Well, they're gonna entertain us a bit," he said, releasing me again. "Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck," I thought "he's going to give us to them, how else are we to entertain them?" my breath had turned shallow and my heart beat wildly, as if it was about to burst.

"These two girls will fight today in the mud…like in TV, but better," the men cheered and stamped their feet against the ground, like bulls preparing to stampede. "The first one to fall and not react for three whole seconds will be the loser. By the way, speaking of losing and winning in this little game I have planned…I'm not going to reward triumph, I will punish mediocrity and defeat," he looked intently at the crowd, as if he was some kind of preacher in front of his congregation. "So, the girl who loses…well, you can have her tonight and have some fun with her."

The nausea filled up my stomach, rushing up towards my mouth. I could feel cold sweat running down my face. So, that was it…if I lost I would be raped by the whole camp. Those leering men, I could see them gloating at us, probably planning what they would do to one of us that night. I looked at the other woman; she stood there, her arms hanging limply by her sides, so horror-struck she had forgotten her shyness.

"So, I'll introduce these beautiful women to you before we let them start," he said, pointing at us alternatively with his free hand. He turned towards the young mother and slid an arm behind her back, she tried to recoil, but he just gripped her arm and glowered at her.

"Your name?" he asked her and put the loudspeaker before her mouth.

"Sarah Brown" she answered in a thin voice.

"Age?" he asked again through the megaphone.

"Twenty-five," the crowd cheered.

"Where are you from?"

"From the United Kingdom" it occurred to me that there was a stark contrast between her milky white skin and Vaas' tan.

Then, Vaas came towards me; I stiffened when he grasped my shoulder and pulled me against him. "Same as her, honey," he said, and put the megaphone before.

"Sofía Gómez Martín, twenty-two years, from Spain," I said in a hoarse voice, he let me go and faced the crowd.

"Before the fight starts I remind you that you can place your bets with Big Paul. So, both of you," he told us "go to opposite sides of the ring, I'll count to three and then you fight."

Sarah and I looked at each other with eyes full of terror. It was as if I was really seeing her for the first time. She had pale blond hair, pale like her skin; she would have been pretty if she was cleaner and didn't look so…dead. Her body was tall and thin, rather taller than me, the stretch-marks and rather soft stomach showed that she had gone through childbirth. We walked backwards to the edges of the circle, the pirates screamed and tried to reach for us.

"HEEEYY! DO NOT TOUCH THEM YET!" he roared. "Let's fucking start: one…two…THREE." He fired his gun to the air, I cringed to the sound. We stared at each other fearfully, not wanting to be the one to start. I began to tread carefully sideways, keeping myself on the rim of the circle, never showing her my back. She began to do the same, watching my every movement.

Both of us jumped at the sound of another shot, we whipped around and saw Vaas holding his pistol in the air. He looked at us, he didn't seem pleased, not at all.

"If you don't start fighting…you'll fucking regret it. Wanna make me bring your little girl and put a bullet into her head?" he growled, Sarah bit her lip, looking at me all the time. Afterwards, she threw herself at me.

I didn't even have time to react properly. The fall left me winded for a few seconds, I could feel the icy and wet ground under my back. Sarah was over me, trying to regain control over herself; gasping for breath. I was so shocked I almost didn't feel the hard slap she gave me. The crowd cheered and booed. When I finally began to focus, I writhed to get her off me; she was on all fours over me. Her legs were half open, I kneed her hard on the crotch; she opened her mouth wide and her eyes bulged for a second. I took advantage of her distraction and pushed her off me; I got up and dashed for the other side of the circle.

The pirates laughed and shook their fist in the air, "They love it," I thought, enraged. Sarah stood up; she was covered in mud, her face contorted in fear and fury.

"YOU FUCKING BITCH!" she snarled, I bared my teeth at her. I had never felt so…desperate and angry; I would do anything to avoid being raped by those monsters and, if I had to fight, so be it. She rushed towards me again, but I was prepared for it.

I braced myself and pushed her away when she was near enough. She nearly lost her balance; I darted to her, grabbed her by the shoulders and head-butted her in the face. It felt as if I had cracked my skull open but, with some sick satisfaction, I heard how the bones of her nose broke loudly. She dropped to the ground, half-unconscious; I kicked her stomach twice.

"WHO'S THE FUCKING BITCH NOW, YOU CUNT!?" I shrieked, and I spat at her. However, that moment something gripped my ankle and pulled, making me lose my footing. I felt the earth against my skin again and the pain in my head and back. She crawled on me one more time and punched me hard on the right cheekbone, she used her other fist to hit my jaw. I felt the blood flooding my mouth when I bit my tongue.

The men cat-called and booed at me, I turned my head and saw the woman's arm next to me. Blinded with rage I bit down hard, until I heard her howl in pain, until I felt her blood mixing with mine in my mouth. I pushed her and rolled over so I was on top; I balled my fist and smashed it viciously against her mouth. She spat some blood, and then she raised the arm that wasn't pinned under me and scratched my neck; she dug her nails under my skin, tearing my flesh apart. I yelped and got away from her.

I beheld the blood running from my neck to my chest, mixing with the brownish film of mud that covered me. The mob was screaming for more blood, they enjoyed our suffering. I saw how Sarah got with some difficulty on her feet and looked at me with pure loathing in her eyes.

"YOU WHORE! YOU ARE JUST TRYING TO SAVE YOUR OWN FUCKING NECK! THEY WANT TO KILL MY DAUGHTER!" she hollered, shaking uncontrollably. The pirates began to whistle and boo, they were getting bored.

I felt something cold and wet splashing over my back, I turned around. One of the men had decided to empty his bottle of beer over me, I was about to leap on him when something hard collided against me, sending me reeling to the ground.

It was that bitch again, she looked totally out of herself; blood flowed abundantly from her nose and mouth, dripping over my chest. She showed me her teeth in a demented smile, her bloodshot eyes fixed on me. She struck me with her fist on the side of the head, near the ear; I screamed in pain, though it was covered by the ringing in my ears. She delivered another blow, this time to my mouth; I felt my lip splitting.

Would I lose? I did see myself lying on the ground, defeated; not only by that woman, but by Vaas, by the rest of the pirates, by life itself. I had to survive; no matter how; now I could hear the screams of those beasts, wanting her to finish me off.

For some unknown reason, my hand grabbed a fistful of mud; I raised my arm and smashed it between her eyes. She yelped in confusion; full of rage, I pushed the mud into her eyes with both hands. Her arms tried to reach her own face, I got rid of her and got on top, my legs straddling her stomach. I pinned her arms down with my knees and punched her hard on the mouth. I backhanded her with the other hand, I smirked when she squealed in pain; I did it again, and again, and again.

The sounds from the crowd began to sound distant and muffled, as if I was somewhere else. I did not think, did not feel, as if my mind was filled with some venomous red haze. I only had one thing in mind: finishing her off. She had stopped screaming and moving, she just lay there while I smashed my hands against her flesh repeatedly.

Something encircled my waist and lifted me away from the woman. I squirmed in its grasp, trying to free myself. "YOU LET ME GO, SON OF A BITCH!" I roared, the arms that held me tightened around me.

"Calm the fuck down, chica," hissed a familiar voice next to my ear. I saw Vaas by the corner of the eye. My breath was ragged and my heart pumped wildly; part of me still wanted to keep beating that woman into a bloody pulp. I made an effort to stop resisting, what was the point? By the looks of it, I had already won. Now I looked at what I had done, and a bitter gulp of bile rose up from my stomach. Did I really do that? Sarah was unconscious, or so I hoped.

Vaas released me; I stood there with trembling knees. What had I done? He crouched next to Sarah and poked her in the face with a finger; then he opened one of her eyelids. He stood up with a fierce smile on his mouth. He strode over to me and took my arm, then raised it into the air.

"Looks like we have a winner!" he roared; the pirates cheered and stamped their feet. He let go of my arm and raised his hands to ask for silence. "Unfortunately, the loser is a little…mmm…let's say indisposed," the pirates complained loudly. "SHUT UP!" he barked, "you will have her when she is conscious and has her wounds fixed up, now fuck off!" the men began to leave.

"Hey, you two take that one to the doc," he ordered to a pair of men. One took Sarah by the arms and other from the legs and they lifted her off the ground, I gazed at that miserable spectacle. "I'm sorry" I thought, "I'm so, so sorry,"

I snapped out of my musings when I felt someone grabbing my arm, it was Vaas again. He examined me with interest. "That doesn't look good, hermana. It will become infected."

He pulled from me, I followed him meekly; I was still very stupefied from the fight and the result. Before I was feeling very numb, but now my body hurt all over, especially my face. I plodded through the mud behind him until we came to a table with a few bottles over it.

"This will do for now," he said and picked up an open bottle half-full of some transparent liquid. The pungent smell of the spirited liquor hit my nose; what was he going to do? He held me firmly by the scruff of the neck.

"Now, I need you to be very still, ok?" he tipped the contents over my forehead; I felt a searing pain near the hairline. I screamed in pain and tried to get away from him. "I told you not to fucking move," he growled and gripped me harder.

He tangled his hand in my hair and pulled down so I would expose my neck. He poured more alcohol over the scratches on my neck, I yelped in pain and gritted my teeth, trying not to move. He let go of my hair when he finished; there was still a bit of liquid in the bottle.

"Drink the rest, it will help with the pain," he offered me the bottle. I took it and sniffed it again; it looked like vodka or some other white spirit. "The fuck are you waiting for?" he asked with impatience.

I drank a bit, not taking my eyes of him; the moment the liquid filled my mouth I felt it burning the place where I had bitten my tongue. I choked and coughed, I saw him raise an eyebrow; I covered my mouth so I wouldn't spit it over him and forced myself to swallow. I made a disgusted grimace and pressed the liquid against my lips again. I downed the remainder in one gulp; then placed the bottle on the table. Now I felt a bit dizzy, but at least I was forgetting the pain in my limbs and face.

"Fine, I'll take you to your cage," he gripped my arm again and pulled from me. The pirates that passed by looked at us; some leered at me and others stared with resentment; I supposed because I had spoiled their fun with Sarah. We entered the cage zone; the other prisoners gazed at me, dirty and bloody.

My clothes were on the ground in front of the cage, as well as Sarah's. Maybe I could ask Vaas to let me take them; at least I wouldn't be naked. I steeled myself, how would he react? Would he rage at me for trying?

"Vaas..." he turned to me with a questioning look on this face, I faltered for a moment. "My clothes are right there, could I pick them?" He frowned deeply.

"I have many fucking things more interesting than babysitting you, puta," he snarled; I tried to go away from him, but he gripped me harder. "What's the fucking point anyway; whole camp has seen you naked."

I gulped; he pulled me nearer to him, his burning gaze piercing into mine. He clenched his jaw in concentration and frowned even more. Now he looked wilder than ever, his scar creased in anger and his arms and top caked in mud since he had held me after the fight. "Ok, take your clothes and get your ass into that cage before I lose my patience and beat the shit out of you," he spat.

I scrambled to the little pile of dirty clothes in the ground and gathered them into a bundle. I came back and followed him to the cage. "You are welcome, by the way" he said in a surly way; I entered the cage, "thank you," I said with a slight tinge of defiance in my voice.

I sat on the ground, the old man was half-asleep with the baby on his lap. He opened one eye when he saw me, but he quickly drew his eyes away when he noticed that I was naked. I slipped my clothes on with some difficulty; the clay over me had turned into a crust. I was almost totally covered in it: my chest, my back, my legs even my hair. And, to make matters worse, I could feel the sticky mix of alcohol and blood over my face and neck.

I felt nauseated and could taste that horrible vodka, was it made from rat poison or what? I lay on my back; the alcohol had numbed my pain, but I was exhausted. I was wounded, dirty and weak, but I had won; I wouldn't be gang-raped by those beasts, at least not yet. I didn't trust the pirate lord, he looked fickle and moody enough to change his mind at any time.

That man, I tightened my jaw and sunk my fingers into the earth in anger. That twisted and sick man; he didn't seem to have enough with kidnapping and ransoming people, he had to torture them for his own entertainment. Where was Sarah right now? She had been taken so her wounds could be cured before she was handed over to the pirates. I hoped they wouldn't bring her here, I didn't think I could bring myself to look her.

A pang of guilt shook my body when I remembered how I had hit her. I had lost all control over myself, totally; never in my whole life had I experienced such rage, wrath, chaos. Had it been survival instinct or something else, something... darker and more primeval even? My eyes were brimming with tears, now I only felt remorse and pain. Somewhere in my brain a little voice was trying to convince me that I had no choice, that it was her or me.

It was stifling hot in that horrible cage, I wished I could sleep; however, the camp was too noisy, or maybe I was too tired to sleep. Droplets of sweat ran down the sides of my forehead; I could consider myself lucky if my wounds didn't get infected with all the filth and the flies. I sat with my back against the bars.

The harsh voices of two pirates startled me, I turned my head towards the sound. They were a few metres away, their backs turned from my cage.

"Saw the fight, dude?" one asked.

"Nah, pity; heard it was brutal, they say those two bitches gave a good hiding to each other!" he answered with a guffaw.

"Yeah, the small Spanish one beat the English whore silly. Vaas had to take the girl away from the other so she wouldn't make mincemeat with her face," he belched loudly. "A fucking shame, looks like we aren't gonna have any fun with her tonight."

"Pssst, why would I want to shag a bitch that can barely move? Give me a whore from Bad Town and I'd give her a good hard fucking," said the other one in a light tone.

"I wouldn't have minded getting some pussy tonight, long time since I went to the brothel. Vaas could have given us the other cunt, though. It's her fault we couldn't have the other one."

"Didn't Bongo and Kid get hanged for trying to rape her? And now he lets us fuck the other, has no fucking sense."

"Yeah, think so. Vaas saw them feeling her up and got really pissed off. You know Vaas, one moment he tells you to go right, and the next moment he says you have to go left; and if you don't…"

I silently agreed with the pirate, Vaas totally looked that kind of person. He had to be really ruthless and cruel to instil fear in men as tough as these ones; he was unpredictable, too. I heard some noise from my cage; the old man stirred, he was awake. He looked at me and searched with his eyes for Sarah.

"Where is the mother?" he mumbled, he stared at me for a few seconds.

"They took her to the doctor," I muttered.

"What happened? Why did they take you? You are covered in blood…" he looked mildly alarmed, as if nothing could really surprise him right now.

"They took us to camp…and made us fight among us. They said the one who lost would be…given to the whole camp tonight."

"Who won, then?" I swallowed hard.

"Me," I could not bear to hold his gaze "she was badly hurt, they sent her to the doctor," my eyes itched, everything was getting blurry. "I did it to her," I sobbed, tears rolling down my face. "I hit her to save myself," it felt I couldn't breathe enough, as if I had had my lungs punctured and couldn't fill them.

"There's not much you could have done. These…monsters, for want of a better word, they would have killed both of you if you hadn't fought. You were stronger or luckier than her and you won, and it's normal that you wanted to save yourself," I looked into his eyes; they were full of compassion and pity.

"But I'll never forgive myself for what I did; I won't be able to look her in the face after this."

"Then you will have to live with it or get over it. I know what is like to feel guilty over things you have done when you had no other choice," he paused for a moment. "I served in Vietnam and…the main order from commanders those days was "kill anything that moves"; and so we did, not only Vietcong soldiers, but farmers, women and even children."

There was a faraway look in his eyes, as if he wasn't really there. "We didn't do it to survive, but because they told us…even though some of my mates enjoyed it in some twisted way."

We stood in silence for a few seconds.

"When I was fighting I lost all control; I was over Sarah and began to hit her in the face. It was as if… as if someone else was using my body and I was just a spectator," I remembered my fists colliding against her face again and again, and that blind rage that filled me. The old man smiled ruefully.

"Yes, when you find yourself trapped in a nightmare like this the animal you have within replaces the person you are, your mind, your morals…the world is so chaotic and violent that the rules from your world don't apply anymore."

The baby began to cry, she wanted her mother back. The old man tried to rock her; I looked at them.

"Give her to me, you have held her long enough," it was the least I could do for her mother now that she wasn't here.

I stood up and took the baby, she wailed in my arms. I sat again and began to rock her, the noise subsided and she rested on my lap, making soft cooing noises. She looked at me with curiosity and raised an arm to touch my face. I stopped her, my face was the last thing that needed to be touched right now; the effect of the alcohol was beginning to wear off. I could feel the wound in my forehead and the scratches stinging; and there was a numb pain in the parts where Sarah had hit me.

For some reason, having the baby in my arms relaxed me; I rested her head the crook of my arm so she went to sleep. I closed my eyes and let myself be distracted by feeling her breathing in and out. I began to doze off, and fell asleep after a while.

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[1] Author's note: a very crude remark in Spanish, apparently, it has no equivalent in English. Literal translation: "hey pretty, I'm gonna put an orange in your mouth and then I'll lick your pussy until it makes juice." (Yeah, I know it's really rude, but that's the point).


	4. Chapter 4- Water

**Hi, once again :)**

**Fourth chapter, I've already began the fifth, though it will take some time. On the other hand, as I'm gettin back to college soon, I don't think I will be able to update at this rate (I'll try, though.)**

**Thanks a lot to all those who are reading the fanfic and following it. Thanks to Badi- otaku for the review of the third chapter.**

**WARNING, this chapter contains EXPLICIT sexual content and smut language.**

******I do not own Far Cry, nor none of its characters.**

******So, as always, I hope you enjoy this new submission. And don't be shy! Post any reviews or critics if you feel like doing it ;D**

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I opened my eyes; it was daylight. I stood gingerly, my body still hurt from yesterday's beating; I grimaced in discomfort when my neck cracked loudly. I stretched my arms above my head, groaning when my muscles grew taut. Where was the baby? I looked around wildly.

"Morning," said the old man, I looked at him, he was holding the baby. I sighed in relief.

"How is she?" I asked.

"She has been fussy this morning, I think she's hungry. Yesterday I gave her some of my soup, but she needs proper food and her mum."

"Yes", guilt had me between its clutches again.

"What about you? Are you feeling alright?" he looked rather worried.

"My body hurts as if a whole building had fallen over me but…I suppose it could be worse," I said with a sad smile.

A slight smile crossed the old man's lips, just for a second, as if he had forgotten how to smile. Suddenly, his expression changed; it was a mixture between fear and hostility. I turned around to see what he was looking at.

It was Vaas, he was standing at the other side of the cage; he must have crept upon us, as I hadn't heard him coming. A crooked smile curled his lips.

"Had a good sleep, hermana?" he asked in a mocking polite manner.

"Yeah, thanks," I answered coolly.

"Fucking fine, now, move your ass and get out," he opened the padlocked door. I stood up and eyed him suspiciously, he was up to something.

"Where are you taking her? Hasn't she had enough?" asked the old man gruffly. His courage amazed me, he already knew Vaas and his moods.

"Do you really care, old man? Mind your fucking business before I slice you open," snarled the pirate lord. The old man frowned but said nothing else. Vaas glowered at him; he held me by the nape of the hair and pushed me out of the cage. Then he held my chin and examined my face.

"Now, you REALLY look like shit, sweetheart," he drawled. I stood there while he turned my face this way and that. "And you smell like shit, too," he said, wrinkling his nose.

"Look who's talking, the king of hygiene," I thought snidely.

"Well, we can put an end to that" he grabbed me again by the scruff of the neck and pushed me in front of him. This forced me to walk faster than I would have done in these conditions. I struggled to keep up with his pace.

We entered the camp, it was mainly composed by huts made of bamboo, metal scraps and dried palm leaves. Others were rusty old trailers used in construction sites. Next to a makeshift pigsty sat four pirates playing dice over an upturned bucket. On the other side three pirates drank beers under a frayed tent of canvas. Some of them passed next to us, nodding when they saw Vaas. They looked at me with curiosity, as if they rarely saw women in camp, which probably was true. A man was gutting a pig that hung upside down from the beam of some kind of stable. There were metal barrels and boxes everywhere. I could smell decaying wood, smoke, gasoline and spicy food, among other less pleasant things.

Then he guided me through a different trail that turned right. We climbed a rather steep slope and stopped in front of some kind of warehouse. Vaas released my neck and turned to me.

"You try to escape," he slid a finger across his neck "capito?" I nodded.

He fished out a set of keys from one of his pockets and unlocked the door. He opened it and made a gesture with his head to tell me to come in. The place was dark; he flicked on the switch on the wall. I gasped in surprise; the place was crammed with suitcases of all sizes and colours. There were handbags, belt pouches and rucksacks hanging from ropes.

"Ok, search for your suitcase or whatever you had, I think the plane's luggage was over there" he pointed right with his finger.

I looked there and scanned with my eyes in search of my big blue suitcase. It was on top of the pile; I walked towards it and stood on my tiptoes to try and catch it. I tried to grab one of the corners, but I couldn't reach it. I heard an audible sigh behind me and Vaas pushed me away. He picked the suitcase with no problem and dropped it to the ground.

"Get whatever the fuck you need to wash yourself: soap, towel, clean clothes. Whatever, but do it fast." I opened my suitcase and rummaged among the contents. I grabbed a rather bulky toilet bag where I had everything I needed and a towel; then I picked some clothes by hazard, along with some clean underwear and socks.

I stood up. He pushed me in front of him again. I held my things in front of me, trying not to soil them with dirt. Where was he taking me? Why did I have to take those things? I didn't think it was another fight, I wouldn't have needed washing, and he wouldn't mind how dirty I was if he was going to kill me.

We followed the trail we had left before, under a big canvas sat a few men with metal plates piled with food; I supposed it was some kind of cantina. One of them whistled at me, Vaas threw him a dirty look; the pirate bowed his head apologetically.

We passed by countless shanties, the camp was huge and crammed with pirates. There was a high slope in front of us that overlooked the whole place. There was a shanty on top of it, on the sides of the slope there were two makeshift towers with armed pirates in them. We climbed some kind of goat trail until we reached the top. My feet hurt like hell and I felt tired.

The hut was bigger than others we had seen at camp, and looked better built. It had thatched roof made from palm trees and the walls were made of wooden planks and metal sheets; the door was metallic and rusty, and the window was barred. We walked to the back of the house, there were two booths nearby, I supposed the furthest one was an outside toilet.

The door creaked when Vaas opened the door of the other booth; it was a makeshift shower with a hose and a few planks on the ground. In another case I would have thought it twice before entering in such a shower, but right now it looked pure luxury.

I looked at Vaas quizzically, did I have to go in? He scratched the back of his neck for a moment, as if he was thinking.

"Better not here, you're too fucking dirty, you'll leave a mess; let's go to the river," he grabbed my arm and pushed me away from the shower. He made me walk down the slope again, though it was a different trail.

We entered the main camp again and went through a maze of huts until we reached a more open area. A few red jeeps were parked there. The camp was surrounded with metal walls too, as high as a man. There was some kind of door there so cars could go through. The sentries that stood guard there nodded when they saw Vaas.

The jungle was right there, only broken by the scar of a brownish road. The rest was an exuberant green, as bright as an emerald under the blue cloudless sky. I could hear thousands of birds warbling and chirping. Vaas turned me around roughly so we were face to face.

"Now, listen to me, chica. I'm gonna leave something clear for you before we go to the river, see this?" he took out his pistol and leaned it against my shoulder, so the muzzle brushed my neck, I felt the cold black metal heavy on my skin. "There's a bullet with your name on it if you try to do any funny stuff. You try to run away…that will be the last thing you feel."

His dark eyes were fixed into mine, his eyebrows knit; teeth half-bared threateningly. It was the first time I saw him so near and so clearly. The dark circles around his eyes looked more pronounced, just like the stubble around his mouth. He had other scars on his face, though not as conspicuous as the one that crossed his head. There was a very thin line that crossed his left cheek starting from the nose. He had a little wound on the lower lip, maybe from a fight.

We stood there in a tense silence for a few seconds.

"Is it understood? Said it out loud," he commanded through clenched teeth.

"Understood," I answered grudgingly. He grabbed my shoulder and pushed me onwards until we left the trail. It had been a long time since I had stepped on grass, even before I had left Spain.

It was almost knee high and full of weeds, there were different kinds of big-leafed plants, though there were some with flowers, specially white, red and yellow. We stepped between two big boulders covered in moss. Now we were under the trees, the sun was covered by a thick leafy canopy, leaving the jungle dimly lit compared with the camp. The air was very humid and I could smell decaying plants and the intoxicating scents from the plants. It was rather hot there, even if the trees gave shade.

I had to tread with care on the irregular ground; Vaas seemed used to it, making loud crunching noises with his boots every time he gave a step. I pushed a vine before I got tangled with it; the jungle was beautiful, though. I would have liked even better if had been free to go wherever I wanted without that psycho practically breathing down my neck.

I could hear rushing water not too far away. The trees were beginning to thin down, the sun beams were slashed by the foliage, but there was more light. There was a river there, rocky and rather shallow; it fell from a nearby little waterfall.

I slid down a pile of rocks and watched our surroundings, a few big and colourful birds left the branches in which they were perched. squawking in annoyance. Vaas slid after me and looked around.

"What the fuck are you waiting for?" he pushed me towards the river, I sighed in annoyance; I was getting tired of his little pushes.

"Why have you brought me here?" I exploded, he looked just as surprised as me at my nerve; I guessed he didn't expect that question. He looked ready to strike at me.

"I don't think you would let me clean myself just for kindness and then put me back into the cage. Are you going to whore me out or something like that?"

He frowned, he looked…confused, and annoyed, which didn't usually bode well.

"Why the fuck would I do that, hmmm?" he grunted. "Your little friend will take care of that as soon as the doctor says she's cured. And you will be joining her soon if you don't DO AS I FUCKING SAY!" he roared, so near that our noses were a hair's breadth from each other.

I bit my tongue, trying not to retort. "Fine, then I'll wash myself," I said, trying to keep my temper under control. I walked away from him and put my things on a rock near the shore.

"Remember what happens if you run," he waved his pistol into the air.

Seeing the water reminded me of how thirsty I was. I practically dropped to my knees and sunk my hands into the water, it was deliciously cold. I washed the dirt away and made a cup with them; I raised the water to my dry and cracked lips. It was like heaven, nothing had ever tasted so good in my whole life. I drunk until I quenched my thirst; I supposed now I would have to get into the water.

I looked sideways, Vaas was sitting on the ground with his back against a tree, his gun was on his lap while he lit a cigar with a match. He raised his gaze and looked straight at me.

I turned my back again, but I could still feel his eyes on me. I got on my feet and took off my shredded tank. It didn't matter that he had already seen me naked not once, but twice. This time I felt even more…vulnerable; there was no one else, just the two of us. I unclasped my bra and threw it to the ground. I let my pants fall down and took off my trainers and socks with my feet. I looked behind my shoulder again.

The pirate was still on the ground, but he was leaning forward, one of his elbows against his knee and the other holding the cigar. He looked at me up and down with insolence and smiled; it was a really unsettling grin, feral and wicked. He took a long drag from the cigar and exhaled the smoke through his nostrils.

Feeling disturbed, I picked my bag and rummaged quickly through the contents. I fished out my shampoo and a shower gel as well as a comb. I stepped into the water; it was chilly, but I was grateful for it after the sweltering heat. Walking barefoot over the stones was uncomfortable, even if they were rather rounder. I waded into the river until I was knee deep.

"Be careful, chica! There are big crocodiles on the Rook Islands, they could swallow you whole," I looked wildly around me, imagining a pair of open giant jaws rushing to me. "Don't worry, though, they don't come so high upstream," he said with a deep chuckle.

I looked at him again; there was a wide smile on his face. "Asshole," I thought. I turned my back to him again; I didn't like that either, but it was better than having to look at his smug face all the time. I waded until the water reached my hips.

I filled my lungs with air and I plunged into the water, it was crystal clear, I could see some tiny seaweeds and small silvery fish swimming. I came out and held the comb and the gel between my legs while I poured some shampoo on my hand. My long mane had turned into a mass of mud and dirty hair; I rubbed hard trying to make the dirt softer, it stung on my wound, although it would clean it. I rubbed it and put it under the water until it was clean. Then I began to pay attention to my body. The hard scab of mud around my body had almost disappeared with the water; I poured some gel and spread it over my skin.

It had been long since I had felt so well, so clean; I could almost have smiled in contentment. I walked towards the shore again to sit and comb my hair. I tried to ignore Vaas' stare; he was tearing apart the rest of the cigar distractedly.

My hair was tangled in tight knots, I held my hair with one hand and tore mercilessly at the tangles. A few tufts of hair fell into the river, but at least it didn't look like a bird's nest. I leaned to the side to pick my towel.

Then, without warning, I was hauled to my feet with violence. Vaas had grabbed me by the waist and had me pressed against his body. I tried to break away from his vice grip, to no avail. I began to sink my nails into his strong forearm.

"Keep doing that and I'll pull your nails out with a pair of pliers," he hissed. I stood there, panting; my skin was icy cold in contrast with Vaas' heat against my back. I could feel the ridges of his chest on my back and his bristly beard against my head. He held me firmly with one hand while he let the other wander to my breasts, then cupped one of them. I inhaled sharply, my nipples had turned into hard nubs after the water. He pinched it hard, I winced in pain.

"Didn't tell you the other day, but you have some nice jugs, sweetheart," he muttered next to my ear. "No, no, no, no," I thought in desperation, "this can't be happening again."

He touched my other breast and grazed my earlobe with his teeth. I could do nothing but stay there while he explored my body. His hand left my chest and slid down my stomach until it rested on the apex between my legs. He pushed his fingers between them and sunk his nose in my hair.

"Now you smell really well, I'm glad I let you bathe," he mumbled rather huskily. His mouth descended to my neck, on the side that wasn't scratched, and he licked it. I pursed my lips in disgust while he clamped down with his teeth, not hard enough to break the skin.

His fingers had been resting on the outer lips of my vagina while he did this. He slid his index and heart finger between them in a softer way than I expected. I swallowed hard, my jaw tightening and my body as taut as a bowstring.

"Just relax and enjoy it, honey," he whispered. Did he really expect me to enjoy this? His breath was getting ragged too, and I could feel a hard ridge against my lower back. He brushed my clitoris lightly with his fingers; I squirmed uncomfortably, heat rising on my neck and cheeks. He flicked the little bunch of nerves to the sides; I groaned and tried to pry his arm away, he just ignored my feeble attempts.

His thumb replaced his other fingers, which he started to slide into my hole, stretching it. He pressed down with his thumb while his index and heart went deeper. I sucked in breath through my teeth, resigned; I closed my fists. I had never felt so impotent in my whole life; there I was, soaked from the river and totally naked against him.

I could feel the roughness of his top against my back, the side of his face pressed against my head. His hot breath brushed against the strands of my hair; the pungent smell from his cigar that lingered on his skin on my nostrils. He had begun to move his fingers in and out; my body was getting heated and a strange sensation assaulted my loins.

"Are you getting wet for me, baby?" I felt him smile. He moved his fingers faster, they slid inside in and out with more ease. Was I really getting moist from this? Did it mean I liked it? A burning shame flooded my whole body. His forced masturbation was eliciting a response in my body, there was no denying it; I wanted to break free and run away from him. He moved his fingers skilfully inside of me, applying pressure in some places. My body was still tense, but it was different this time.

I tried to stifle a moan that wanted to escape from my lips; I grabbed his forearm for balance. My knees felt weaker and weaker while the sensations between my legs built up. His fingers plunged in and out of me frantically; I panted, my body was about to explode.

It shook me like an earthquake; my whole body spasmed, electricity coursing through my nerves. I threw back my head against his shoulder and groaned in defeat. The sensations began to subside, I slumped myself against the pirate's body. I gasped for breath, I could hear my heart beating against my eardrums.

He chuckled softly as he slid his fingers out of me. He raised them so I could see them; they were glistening with my moisture. More heat rushed to my already sweaty and probably blushed face. I had had an orgasm with HIM touching me; I couldn't believe it, what the hell was wrong with me? He had forced me to have an orgasm.

He pressed the tips of his fingers against my lips. "Clean them," I kept mouth stubbornly shut. His grip around my midriff tightened and his fingers dug into my side. ·"Do it," he commanded again. I opened my mouth slightly, anger filling every cell in my body; he slipped them into my mouth. I felt my own tangy flavour, it was between acid and salty. A part of me really wished to bite his fingers off, but he would probably take my teeth off for that.

"Come on, lick them," he told me with impatience. I pushed my tongue against them, he slid his fingers out. He released me, I spat angrily to the ground; I looked at him sideways, an ample grin on his mouth. He wiped off the saliva on his fingers against my cheek. "Ok, dress yourself, chica," he walked away and sat on the ground again, as if nothing had happened.

I crouched on the ground, yearning to throw one of those big stones against his head. I looked through the bag, I found some plaster. "Thanks, mom," I thought, I would not have thought of taking them myself. Tears stung in my eyes, I wiped them furiously, I wouldn't cry in front of him. I took one of them and stuck it over the wound on my head, the rest of my face still felt rather puffy though it was number thanks to the water; I had no more cuts, and the scratches were too big to cover them with the bands.

I put on the plain black underwear I had brought and some black shorts. The tank was grey and made of some thin fabric; I put my trainers on, picked up my things and stood up.

"I'm ready," I said listlessly. He got to his feet and stretched himself, closing his eyes tightly. "Now that I was beginning to get comfortable, come on girl, let's go."

I walked in front of him again without him having to say so. We went through the jungle in silence until we emerged under the sun; it blinded me for a second. We entered the camp; the guards looked at us but said nothing.

Doubt still burned inside me; where was I going? What would he do with me now that I was clean? We followed the same trail as before and reached the hill on which stood Vaas' shanty or whatever it was. We climbed up again, he took a key out and unlocked it, the door creaked open ominously.

"Inside, I have to leave," he pushed me in.

"Why do I have to stay here?" I asked, he looked at me irritated.

"Because I fucking say so, puta," he spat.

"Can't I go back to my cage?" I asked angrily.

"Haven't you guessed? You aren't going back there," he pushed me so hard that I stumbled to the floor. With that, he closed the door; I heard the lock clicking into place.

I stood up clumsily, I got to the door and kicked it in anger. I had never wanted to hit someone so bad, not even during the fight. "Motherfucker," I thought; still fuming, I looked at my surroundings. The place was flooded with light by a single but big barred window. Below it there was a big bed with a rusty headboard; the mattress was rather old and dirty, on it there were some rumpled sheets.

An upturned wooden crate next to it served as some kind of night table, some half empty liquor bottles sat on it. On its left sat an old cupboard with one of its door ajar, revealing some clothes inside it.

Against the opposite wall, next to a stained old fridge, there was a desk littered with pieces of paper, maps, bullets and a laptop. I saw a photo nailed to the wall with a knife; it piqued my curiosity.

I walked to it, it was the photo of a woman, and the knife was nearly piercing her head. She was strikingly and exotically beautiful, with her tanned skin and dark hair, shaved on the sides and twisted into long braids on the top of her head. Her eyes were clear, or so the faded photo suggested. She had some kind of tribal tattoo on her skin, just below her shapely lips. From her ears hung some long pendants and her neck was encircled with metal rings.

For some reason, she looked familiar, something in the cast of her features, or maybe the expression. Why was she there? Was she Vaas' enemy?

I turned around to examine the rest of the room next to the desk there was a rickety and chipped chair. Finally, on the wall nearest to the door there was a big television on another big crate, under it there was a DVD player flanked by a stereo system. On a corner I saw several dvds stacked into piles. I walked next to it and picked one of them, it was _The Fight Club_, I raised an eyebrow; at least he had some good taste in movies.

I left it in the place where it was, I didn't think that nutter would appreciate having me rummaging through his things. Apparently, I would have to wait until he came back; though it wasn't something I wasn't particularly looking forward to.

I sat on the bed, I felt the sun on my back drying my wet hair; I felt tired, and hungry. Last thing I had eaten had been the rice with meat before the fight. Hunger had turned into a constant feeling these last days.

Maybe…I could see what there was in the fridge; but, what if Vaas realized I had been stealing from him? "Come on, he won't notice," I sneaked to the fridge, looking to the sides, fearing that he would jump out of some corner.

I opened the fridge. It was full of drinks, but not food; I saw lots of bottles of beer and different liquors, but no food, not even a piece of bread. There was a bottle of water, though. That wouldn't make less hungry, but I would feel more filled up. I unscrewed the cap and took a long swig, it tasted like plastic. The bed creaked under my weight again; I put my head between my hands and rubbed my face.

I needed to sleep, my gaze wandered over the untidy bed. However, what if Vaas found me on HIS bed? He would taunt me in some way or get mad at me for using it. I looked at the ground; it didn't look uncomfortable, it was made of some kind of woven palm leaves. I slid to the ground and curled into a ball.

A loud _thunk_ wrenched me out of my sleep, I looked at the pair of familiar big boots in front of me. I scrambled to my feet, Vaas chuckled while I rubbed my eyes.

"Enjoyed your nap, chica?" he walked to the table and proceeded to take off his holster. "You looked like a dog, sleeping at the foot of my bed." I bit my tongue so as not to anger him with my answer.

"Asked you a question, answer it," he looked at me testily.

"Yes, I enjoyed my nap, thank you Vaas," I said high and clear, hatred oozing from every syllable. Maybe he didn't perceive it, or decided to ignore it altogether, he went to the crate on which the TV was and squatted.

"That's better; now, be a good girl and fetch me a beer from the fridge," now that he didn't see me I threw him a withering look. I opened the fridge and took what looked like a bottle of beer, though I didn't understand what was written on it. I supposed it was Thai.

"Let's see what we've got here" he said thinking out loud. "Action, horror, comedy, thriller, adventure…porn," he turned towards me and raised his eyebrows suggestively, my face grew hot.

I left the bottle on the crate and sat on the floor, feeling extremely bewildered, what was he doing? He turned the TV on and walked to the bed, he sat and took off his boots and socks. A funky music began to blare out of the stereo.

"Why the fuck are you sitting there?" he asked while he opened the beer with his hand.

"Where else would I sit?" I quipped sullenly.

"Sit next to me," he pointed at the other side of the bed with his chin.

"No, thanks; I'm fine here."

"Get your white ass over here or I'll drag you myself," he growled.

I practically kicked off my trainers and crawled to the place between the wall and him, careful not to even brush him. I looked at the screen, the film rang a bell in my head…could it be…_Superbad? _

I looked at him sideways, he had his back against wall, like me, and the beer was propped against his knee. We stood in silence, I tried to concentrate on the movie, but I couldn't with him next to me.

Yes, it was _Superbad,_ I could recognize the actors. I flexed my legs so I could put my elbows over them. We watched the movie in silent, except when Vaas chuckled or laughed from time to time.

When a bespectacled and scrawny boy appeared on the screen he whooped loudly. I looked at him by the corner of my eye.

"I love this guy, fucking Mclovin' " he said, pointing the new character.

He gave a raucous laugh when they presented a scene in which that guy followed a hot girl like a creep. He turned to me.

"Why aren't you laughing, chica? Aren't you entertained?" his eyes burnt darkly. I froze in my place.

"Yes, I am…sorry," I stuttered. I forced a little laugh at the next joke, but it didn't feel natural.

We sat there for almost two long hours, I tried to smile or grunt in appreciation when there was something Vaas considered funny. I felt really stupid, but I didn't want to get killed; luckily, it finished. The pirate stretched his arms above his head and cracked his neck.

"Time to sleep," I eyed the ground, it had been comfortable enough during the nap. I began to slide from the bed.

"Hey, guapa, not so fast, stay where you are." He said while he stood on his feet.

"I don't mind sleeping on the ground," I muttered.

"Do you think I'm so fucking stupid? What would stop you from getting the key and escaping or killing me while I sleep, hmm?" he opened the cupboard and took something. A metallic gleam caught my eye; he grabbed my left ankle and put a handcuff around it, then closed the other around the bars of the footboard.

"That should be enough," he turned and began to take the two straps of fabric slung across his shoulder. He emptied his pockets on the desk and then took his tank, I caught a glimpse of his muscled back before I looked away through the window. I could see the dim lights from the other parts of the camp.

I turned again, he only wore a pair of boxers , I noticed some kind of extensive tattoo on his right thigh, running from his underwear to the top of his knee. It was formed by different geometrical patterns forming horizontal, diagonal and vertical bands around the leg; like chevrons, diamond or downward pointing triangles separated in different bands. It was very intricate, but it looked…tribal and primitive in some sense.

He turned around, I pretended to look somewhere else and lay down. The bed sagged slightly under his weight. I turned so as to lie on my side, with my back to him. He turned the lights off.


	5. Chapter 5- Anthill

**Hello there :D, how are you? **

**The fifth chapter, I thought it would take far longer. However, I felt really in the mood these days and couldn't stop writing, I have many ideas for the future.**

**Thanks to all those who are following my submissions and reading this fanfic, it means a lot to me, seriously :)**

**This chapter only contains some foul language.**

**I do not own Far Cry, nor none of its characters.**

**So, let's see how Sofía puts up with Vaas, shall we? I hope you enjoy it. As always, you can post any reviews or critics; it would help me to improve my writing style or my characters and their behaviour; also, if you have any ideas for the story, feel free ;)**

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I was again in the middle of a crowd of pirates, but this time they weren't normal pirates; they had demon faces: rolling yellow eyes, fanged mouths, big ears and faces contorted into animalistic grimaces. The monsters screeched and howled, cackling with malevolence, trying to grip me with their claws. I looked in front of me; there was another woman, totally naked, like me.

That woman was me. She, I, looked terribly frightened; she sobbed, looking for a way out of the ring. Vaas strode into the pit, he looked at me; his eyes were a dark void that seemed to devour all light.

"Only one of you can come out of this ring, hermana," he said, pointing the other woman with his finger; then, he walked to me.

"Kill her," he whispered.

I pounced like a wild beast, jumping on her. We fell and I smashed my fists against her flesh; I sunk my nails into her flesh and shredded her skin. I hit, I struck, I punched countless times, until she was nothing more than a bloody and shapeless mass under my body. I raised my fists in victory while the demons made a chorus of screams and evil laughs.

I woke up covered in cold sweat, when I sat upright something pulled my leg. Where the hell was I? I looked around in confusion. Ah, of course, I was with that madman; I looked towards where he was sleeping. The only thing I could see was his back; he was fast asleep, judging by his deep and slow breathing.

It was strange seeing someone as fearsome as Vaas looking so unprotected. A dark idea crossed my mind…I could kill him, I could wrap the pillow around his head and smother him to death. The sensible part of my mind spoke this time: "What would you do when he wakes up? He is much stronger than you, it's impossible you could hold him down long enough to kill him."

Anyway, even if I got rid him I would still be cuffed to the bed, I would have to drag it over to the keys and then escape the camp and make my way into some unknown and dangerous jungle. Feeling extremely downcast, I tried to get back to the position I had been, but it was impossible. The links clinked every time I moved.

The nightmare came back to my mind; why did I fight against myself? The demon faces and Vaas' eyes, everything had been really disturbing. I remembered the dark pits in the pirate lord's eyes. "Kill her," he had said, and so I did.

I tossed and turned; my brain was too occupied reliving the fight from that day, as if it was a looping film. Now she hit me, then I threw her to the ground; now she hit me, then I threw her to the ground. I saw it happen over and over again.

The camp had never been so peaceful; it was a deep contrast with the turmoil in my head. There were no screams, not even the dogs barked. I sat again and looked through the barred window; the only things that broke the darkness were the lamps scattered on the pirate camp, and then the dark jungle.

I lay down again and curled into a ball, hoping to find again the posture in which I had been resting. The wire of the bra was digging into my side. I shouldn't have picked that one now that I had to sleep with it, it was very rigid. Maybe I could take it off and sleep without it; I risked a glance at the slumbering pirate. I stood again and slipped off my tank, praying he wouldn't wake up that moment. After that, I tucked the piece of clothing between the bed and the wall, where I could easily find it.

I put on my tank again and curled into a foetal position again. My back collided against something hard and warm; I jolted as if I had been burned. I looked at him again, feeling as if my heart was going to pop out of my mouth. He just grunted and shifted in is sleep, I sighed in relief. I began to notice the constant sounds around me: the crickets far in the distance, the humming from the fridge and that man's breath. He didn't exactly snore, it was more like a loud and deep breath. Finally, my eyelids began to fall again.

Something prodded me in the cheek, I opened my left eye. I saw a finger sinking into my flesh, and then the pirate's face. I sat bolt upright, he laughed under his breath at my reaction. I stared at him warily, not knowing what to do.

"You should have seen your face," he said, still chuckling. "You went all pale, like arrowroot mash, really," he tried to put a straight face again.

"Slept well then, hermana?" he asked, still with a slight smile.

"Yeah, I suppose so," I mumbled. I tried to move, but the handcuff around my ankle still restrained me. "Thanks for asking," I added, he had turned from me, busy buckling his belt.

"I'm fucking starving," he put the tank on; I caught a glimpse of another round tattoo on the right of his chest before he covered it. Then, he studied me for a moment, scratching his goatee pensively. "You could pick something for me to eat, I don't feel like going myself right now."

I stared at him in disbelief, was he really going to let me go into the camp to get food by myself, or was it some kind of sick trick? Now that I came to think of it, I was starving too, I felt a dull pain in the pit of my stomach.

He walked to the bed again and took a tiny key from his pocket. He opened the cuff and let it fall against the metal bar.

"What the fuck are you waiting for? GO NOW!" he kicked the bed with his heavy boot for emphasis.

"Shit, shit, shit," I jumped out of bed and dashed through the open door of the shanty. I had been so worried about avoiding being shot by that maniac that I had forgotten that I was barefooted and braless. My breasts jiggled uncomfortably while I skidded down the slope and the pebbles dug into the soles of my feet. I tripped and I fell down to my knees at the bottom. "Where the fuck is the canteen?" I thought in desperation; I had seen it the day before, I was positive about it.

I took the trail through which he had taken me, I had never run so fast in my whole life. Now I felt glad for doing sprints after jogging in my free time. The pirates that saw me looked dumbfounded; I must have been an image to behold. I could smell food nearby; there it was, the canvas with the tables underneath.

I could have laughed for joy, I walked swiftly under it. However, someone grabbed my shoulder, I whipped around to see who it was and probably tell him to fuck off. I recognized the Somali soldier who had taken me out the other day.

"Hey, what is doing such a pretty little thing in a place like this?" he greeted.

"I have no time, your boss wants his breakfast, can't stop to chat," I wrenched my arm out of his grasp, too occupied to pay heed to whatever he had to say. There were a few tables full of boxes at the end of the improvised canteen. I walked towards them purposefully, ignoring the pirates' stares.

The boxes were laden with fruit; I picked a huge mango out of it, hoping he would like it. I sprinted out of the place again without a backwards glance. I reached the top of the hill huffing and puffing, clutching the stich on my side with one hand, the other held the mango. He was waiting for me, sitting on the steps that led to the inside of the shanty.

"Wow, that was fast," he whistled appreciatively while I handed him the mango, sweat pouring down my face. I dumped heavily to the ground, still gasping for breath. I felt really dizzy; I kept my head down between my fingers while I saw tiny stars dancing in front of me.

I looked up inconspicuously; he had begun to peel the mango with his switchblade. It looked delicious, so ripe that the juice left his forearms covered in juice. He cut a big slice with the blade and put it into his mouth.

"Fuck, that's so much better," he said; my mouth was watering heavily, I swallowed. There is nothing worse than being hungry and seeing someone enjoying their food. My stomach growled audibly, he looked back at me, his mouth full with fruit. He tried to say something, but I didn't understand anything. He fought to swallow and sighed.

"What's the problem, chica?"

I didn't know if I should tell him; I had the impression he would get mad at me. Nevertheless, if I didn't tell him I needed to eat, it mattered little if I avoided being shot for asking, for I would die from starvation at some moment.

"It's just…that I'm really hungry," I said with a little voice. He looked at me with an unfathomable expression; I waited for his reaction on tenterhooks.

"You should have picked something from the cantina; anyway, take this and let me fucking chill for a while, catch it!" he thrust the slippery mango to me, as if I was a dog. It collided against my hands and I held it just in time. I sunk my teeth into it without further ado; it tasted like heaven on earth, or so it seemed to someone as hungry as I was. It didn't even matter that the juice was dribbling down my chin, I wolfed it down in the blink of an eye.

He fished a cigarette out of the little package with his teeth and lit it with an amused expression on his face. He turned his gaze away from mine and let his eyes roam over the camp.

I finished the last bite of the mango; I resisted the urge of licking my fingers clean. Now my hands and face felt sticky, and I needed to go to the toilet, I squirmed uncomfortably in my place. I looked at him, what did I have to lose?

"Errrr…Vaas?" I faltered, he turned to me visibly annoyed. "What the hell do you want now, hermana, can't you see I'm relaxing?" he hissed crossly, his eyes locked on mine. I tried to speak, but the words wouldn't come out.

"Spit it out," he said, trying to get a grip on himself. He made an impatient gesture with the hand that held the cigarette.

"Would it be fine if I went to the toilet? I'm about to explode and I'm sticky." I held his gaze unblinkingly.

"Ok, go then, but don't get too long," he leaned against the threshold of the door and closed his eyes.

I got to my feet and hurried towards the back of the shanty, I stopped in front of the outhouse and opened the door. It didn't stink, it reeked; I wrinkled my nose in pure disgust. When was the last time they had cleaned _that_. I took a few paces away and got behind a tree, I would rather be eaten alive by the mosquitoes than enter there. I relieved myself with a deep breath.

I walked toward the shower to wash my hands, I opened the rusty tap and rubbed my hands with the cold water. When I came out I saw a cracked and weather-stained mirror pane nailed to the wall. I stopped in front of it; a strange young woman looked from it.

My slightly wavy dark ash blond hair was clean, but dishevelled and untidy. I could see the plaster below my hairline, a little hidden by my bangs. My hazel green eyes looked at my reflection intently, underneath there were deep purplish bags from bad sleeping. My usually fine lips were very swollen; besides, the lower one was split in the middle and had another wound on the side. The rest of my face was a motley mixture of colours: there was a big yellowing bruise on my right cheekbone and the skin around it was red; then there was another one on the left side of my jaw, just below a reddish welt on my cheek. Add the wound on my head and the scratches in my neck and we have some twisted modern art picture.

Seeing those wounds reminded me of how I had got them. The blows and the abuse from those two monsters a few days ago; I dug my nails into my thigh, feeling their hands on me all over again. Then, the fight with Sarah; her distorted and bloodied face so clear it almost burnt my eyes. And yesterday, even if he hadn't hit me, what had done that madman. "Are you getting wet for me, baby?" he whispered huskily beside my ear.

I shuddered, a mixture of fear, hatred, disgust and rage flowing through every cell of my body. I yearned to slam my punch into that stupid mirror and watch it shatter into tiny pieces. I walked away from it, remembering that the psycho had told me not to be gone for too long.

He was still sitting against the threshold, the butt of the cigarette still between his fingers. I sat silently on the same spot as before, waiting for him to move or say something. However, he remained silent, apparently looking into the jungle, like an eagle surveying its territory. I looked at the camp, it was full of movement; pirates walking, sitting, doing everyday chores like ants in an anthill.

He stood up suddenly and flexed his neck, making it crack, he grimaced. He looked at me, as if wondering while I was still there.

"Ok, Flash girl; get inside, got things to do," he stepped to one side of the door. I got to my feet and entered, my shoulder brushing against his chest in the process; he smiled roguishly when he noticed, I felt my face reddening. He closed the door behind me, I heard the lock.

I sighed, still feeling disgruntled from watching in the mirror. I put my bra on and then I flung myself over the bed. What was I supposed to do right now? At least in the cages I could watch the pirates coming and going, or talk to the other captives if so I desired. I watched at the ceiling; there was a big beam supporting it; the sides were made with sheets of corrugated metal sheets, some thatching had slipped through the cracks, from the beam hung two light bulbs.

My eyes studied the rest of the room in search of something with which I could kill some time. I saw a book under the desk, I got off the bed and crawled to reach it. The covers were extremely faded and worn, as if it had been read many, many times. I could distinguish the title, though: _Cien años de soledad, A Hundred Years of Solitude_. From Gabriel García Márquez, the Spanish version; it was odd seeing a book in a place like this, like a dog in the tank of an aquarium. I rifled through the yellowing pages carefully.

A book, I couldn't help but smile, the first true smile since I came to this nightmare; I hadn't been able to read anything since the plane landed. I sat cross-legged on the bed, with my back to the window. Would the pirate mind? The book was on the floor, probably not. I needed it to escape this place, vanish for a while.

The hours passed swiftly, I had buried myself so deeply in it that I jolted in surprise when I heard the pirate entering the hut. I put the book down guiltily, a knot forming in my throat, and eyed him. He raised his eyebrows, but he didn't look annoyed or angry.

"Reading?" he asked.

"Yeah…I'm sorry, really; I'm sorry if you didn't want me to pick it," I stammered; to my surprise, he laughed under his breath.

"Don't worry, chica; I've read it many times, you can use it," such a gesture for someone as hardened as him surprised me greatly.

"Thank you," I said, still looking at him in disbelief.

"It's fucking late, and I'm hungry; you know watch to do, run to the cantina and get something for me, and for you too, I'm not gonna share again," he sat on the bed. I left the book hastily and put on my trainers, not willing to commit the same mistake twice.

I scampered down the slope and run among the pirates, better get back fast. However, to my dismay, I saw there was a big queue of pirates wanting to get their food too. One of the pirates on the tables nudged his friend with the elbow and pointed at me unashamedly; the other one looked at me and mumbled something to his friend.

I really hoped they wouldn't get too near to me, maybe it wasn't a good idea being right there right now. Someone tapped me on the shoulder, I turned around feeling wariness growing inside me. It was the black guy from before.

"Hi there, you weren't too nice when I saw you before," he said with a smile; I watched at him full of suspicion.

"Sorry for that, but I was too worried with Vaas being pissed off at me and whatnot," I replied.

"Ah, then it's true," he said, nodding to himself as if he had suddenly understood something.

"What is true?" I inquired.

"That you're his bitch; well, he didn't exactly say that yesterday. He said something like if anyone dared touch you or hurt you he would personally rip their balls off and feed them to the dogs."

"Yeah, that sounds like him." I smiled wryly. We advanced a little, the pirates kept looking at me; now I understood why they didn't get near. Well, the better for me.

"By the way, I saw you during the fight. It was…wow, at first I thought you were going to lose, but then, bam! You beat that bitch's ass. I would've been sorry if you had lost; I had a bet on you…" he trailed off. The fight and the dream assaulted my mind; "thanks for reminding me, asshole," I thought bitterly.

We waited the rest of the queue in silence; I didn't really want to talk with him. The queue advanced more and more; I shifted my weight to the other foot, Vaas would be getting impatient. Finally, it was my time to get food. I got two metal dishes and forks from a big pile and presented them to a big cooker in front of a huge pot.

"Well, well, well, what are you doing here, little girl?" he said in a very deep voice and smiling lewdly.

"I'm here to get your boss' food, so, if you please…" I tried to keep my voice as nonchalant as possible, but fear burnt on my inside.

"Why the fuck would he send you? I'm giving you nothing, bitch!" he retorted. What would I do now? Return to that maniac empty-handed? No way, he would kill me before I could tell him what had happened.

"Hey, Pedro; she's telling the truth, Vaas has sent her. She's with him," replied the Somali's voice behind me. The cooker eyed me warily, he looked confused.

"Paul! You saw Vaas yesterday, is this fucker right?" yelled the cooker towards a nearby table.

"Yeah, dude. She's the boss' bitch, he told us yesterday," replied Paul, the cooker looked at me.

"Anyway, why two dishes?" he asked brusquely.

"One is for me, the other for him," he grunted and began to fill the plates, one of them was only half full, I supposed it was the one for me. I looked at him coolly and left.

"Thanks," I said looking towards the young soldier.

I walked fast, trying not to throw the rice with fish to the ground. I reached the top of the hill; the pirate lord was waiting for me sitting on the steps.

"What the fuck took you so long?" he spat when he saw me.

"Sorry, the queue was long and the cooker didn't believe you had sent me," I explained, I handed him his plate, he took it with a slight frown.

"Whatever, get me a beer, I will need something to down this shit," I left the dish with my food on the ground and sidestepped him to enter. I took a beer and gave it to him, hoping to be able to eat the food before it got too cold.

I sat on the same spot as breakfast; another reminder of civilization: a fork. The last days I had had to eat with my fingers, so it was a welcomed change. The food wasn't bad at all, rather spicy though. I looked around, the pirates on the towers looked towards the jungle; why would they? They seemed to control the whole place.

I finished eating, leaving the dish almost totally clean; who knew when I would eat decent food again. I heard metal clattering behind me, the pirate had finished too. I saw him taking a last swig from the beer, and then he threw the empty bottle it to the grass with a dull thud.

I yawned, I was feeling rather drowsy after eating; the sun felt good on my skin for the first time in days, the breeze helped a lot with the jungle's humid heat. I would have felt totally at ease from the world if it hadn't been for the numb pain on the wounds on my face, and most of all, if I hadn't been at the mercy of that lunatic. My relax moment was short-lived, though.

"Chica, wake the fuck up; take the dishes back, it's getting late and I have business to attend," he commanded. I resisted the urge to groan in disappointment; I got up and took his plate and mine.

The rhythm around the camp had churned, it was more sluggish; some pirates were slumped in couches below some canvas, others finished their food while they talked loudly. I left both dishes on a big pile on a table of the canteen. I got back to his shanty, sighing in annoyance; I didn't want to get back so soon.

He got up, rubbing his hands across his face. He didn't seem to be on the mood for attending business as he had said.

"Ok, get the fuck inside," he pushed me through the threshold. I walked straight to the bed and took my trainers off before I heard the lock being thrown. I took the book that lay on the mattress and looked for the page I had been reading before.

I sat there reading for hours, getting up from time to time to pace around the room. Now that I could move a bit I should do it; I longed for running around the park near my home as I used to, not a worry in the world except going onwards.

It was getting dark, I lighted one of the bulbs to keep on reading; I looked through the window. It was dusk time, the sky full of magnificent orange and pinkish colours; and I was closed there. Feeling dejected, I tried to distract myself by reading.

Night had finally come; the pirate hadn't, though. I couldn't help but feel relieved, I was far better alone than with him. However, I was beginning to feel rather sleepy; it had to be getting very late. Maybe he wouldn't spend the night here; I curled into a ball and kept reading until my eyelids began to feel heavy.

"I should sleep," I thought, yawning widely. I slipped my bra off; I would have wanted to take off my shorts, they weren't really comfy to sleep. Part of me didn't find it appealing, what if that son of a bitch tried something like what he did near the river? A different part of me laughed mirthlessly: as if a flimsy short would keep him from doing whatever he wanted with me.

Resigned, I took them off and tucked them next to my bra so they could be at hand. I turned off the lights and curled into a ball, my back to the window.


	6. Chapter 6- Bandage

**Hi, ladies and gentlemen, how do you do? :D**

**Sixth chapter, a bit shorter than others, but that will change soon. I have a lot of stuff going on my mind and can't wait to write it (that's if my teachers don't give me LOADS of homework, as they use to.)**

**Thank you for the reviews and to all those who read this fanfic, it's great to see people are reading it. :)**

**This chapter contains foul language and some violence, but not too graphical**

**I do not own Far Cry, nor none of its characters.**

**So, I hope you like this chapter, I will come with another as soon as possible. Any reviews are welcome in order to let me know any mistakes and improve andy details. Also, if you have some ideas, you can contact me ;)**

It was comfortable being on that bed instead of on the earth, I could begin to feel the sunbeams on my skin; I smiled ever so slightly and moved my hand further over the mattress. It wasn't on the mattress, though; a mattress doesn't feel like warm human skin under the hand.

"What the fuck?" I thought, totally baffled. I opened my eyes all of a sudden; the light left me confused for a few seconds. I began to regain my vision and I saw the pirate lying next to me, asleep on his back; my hand rested on his bare chest. I felt the blood draining from my face, what now? If I moved it aside he would probably feel it; however, if I didn't, he would wake up and see it there…

I lifted my hand slowly, my breath bated as if I feared that he would wake up from hearing it. I looked intently at my hand and observed it move away and fall over the mattress softly; I sighed in deep relief. Then I looked up and saw his eyes were open, staring at me with interest and bemusement at the same time. I felt an explosion of heat on my cheeks; then, a big smile spread over his face.

"You were hugging me," he said, the corners of his eyes crinkled; it was not a question, but an observation.

"No, I wasn't," I rebutted hurriedly.

"Saw it, chica; your hand was just here," he tapped his sternum with one finger, his voice still low from sleep. "I can almost still feel it," he added with a wicked grin.

"I was asleep and my hand fell there, ok?" I retorted gruffly; he gave a lusty and raucous guffaw. I twisted the sheets under me with my hand, wishing it was his neck instead. He laid there, his chest quaking in silent laughter.

"What's the matter, guapa, am I growing on you?" he turned his head towards me, still smiling widely.

I needed to leave that bed right then; I tried to go away, but something restrained me. I looked at my ankle, he must have put the handcuff while I was asleep. The thought of having him so near while I was so helpless was certainly disquieting. And, to make matters worse, I was very lightly clad; I was only wearing my panties and a thin tank, I noticed my nipples were pushing through the fabric.

He seemed to notice too, for his smile widened and his eyes glinted in an odd way. Then, all of a sudden, he put himself on top of me, pinning my wrists above my head with his hands. His body hovered over mine, there was no escape; I gulped in fear, remembering the other day. His eyes appeared even darker, he smirked at my expression.

"Does this make you nervous?" he said in a low voice.

"Yes," I breathed; my chest was heaving, my breath ragged even though I wasn't moving.

"Such a shy girl," he chided, he lowered his body even more, so that our thoraxes touched. Did he do it on purpose? Just to make me feel unsettled?

He rolled off of me and got up, still sniggering; he opened the handcuffs, I tried to stay away from his touch. He turned again and started getting dressed; quivering with rage, knowing he had made a fool out of me, I imitated him. I kept my back turned to him while doing it, I felt better when I was totally dressed again.

"Ok, girl, go get breakfast," he said without bothering to turn to me. "Ordering me around like a dog, the big fucker," I thought sourly. I practically stormed out of the shanty, I really needed to get away from him. I run down the slope, focusing on keeping my balance. I sprinted through the trail that took to the canteen; the pirates looked at me, probably wondering why I looked so hurried.

I reached the place and picked another mango and a pair of bananas for me. I got back quickly to the shanty, the pirate waited for me on the steps. I thrust him the mango and sat on the ground.

I peeled the banana and began to take a bite out of it; I heard a little snigger, I turned towards him, an eyebrow cocked in confusion. He had stopped peeling his mango and looked at me with his eyes full of amusement.

"D'you like bananas a lot?" he asked, trying to keep a straight face. I would have rolled my eyes at that immature question, but thought it better and decided to ignore him.

I looked away, concentrating in looking at the jungle. It was so…green and wild, so beautiful. The camp was on top of some kind of elevation, though by no means it was the highest place, it was surrounded by some towering mounts with sheer stony cliffs at the top. I finished the first banana and ate the second one, it tasted good, I had missed fruit in the cage, too.

"I need to go to the toilet, can I?" I looked at him hopefully; he made a gesture with his hand which I interpreted as yes. I did it among the grass again and went back to him, he was still on the steps.

"Get inside," he ordered curtly, I sidestepped him and sat on the bed after kicking off my trainers. Where was the book? When I had fallen asleep it was still on bed; he had left it on the crate beside the bed. I picked it and prepared myself to read; however, I realised I couldn't after I had to read the same paragraph four times in a row. Too much pent up energy, I supposed; I paced around the room like an animal in its cage.

Maybe I could do some exercise there, push ups or repetitive exercises. I lay down on the floor and began to do abdominal exercises, then continued with others that involved legs and back. When I finished doing some push ups I lingered on the floor for a few minutes, rather tired; the days of sitting and doing nothing had taken their toll.

I tried it again with the book; it had worked, I could focus more easily. I forgot every sound from the camp, even that I was there. I only came back to reality when I realised I was hungry. I pushed my face against the bars, trying to see if the psycho was coming back or not. I could smell food cooking, which only made feel hungrier. I put down the book and slumped on bed, I didn't want that nut to come back, but I was starving.

It was getting late, I assumed he wouldn't be back for lunch. I just lay there, playing with my hair while I read. I began to feel thirsty too, I walked to the fridge and drunk from the plastic bottle, the water was a bit stale. Maybe exercising hadn't been a bad idea, I felt hungrier and thirstier than other days.

I spent the afternoon reading, pacing around the room to stretch my legs, looking through the window or just lying on bed. I yearned to go back home, I wanted to see my parents again; I wanted my life back. The memories of my life before I came to the Rook Islands seemed alien, as if they were someone else's. Would I ever return to it? I doubted it, some part of me, a dark and pessimistic one felt that I would probably end my days here. My parents wouldn't be able to pay, and Vaas would surely kill me. I was in a really brooding mood; at least with him around I was too preoccupied with keeping my head over my shoulders to worry about the future.

There was no point thinking about all that, and I knew it; but I did it all the same. It was getting dark, I was just lying on bed staring at the ceiling when the door was wrenched open and the pirate stomped inside. I had a bad feeling when I saw him, he was frowning and his jaw was clenched; I sat up and looked at him.

"The fuck are you looking at, puta?" he spat peevishly. I looked down rapidly; "what's the matter with him now?" I thought nervously. He walked to the desk and let his gun fall with a loud clank. I lingered on the bed, not daring to move even an inch, watching his every movement while he left his weapons.

"Why are you still there, go get dinner, FAST!" he whipped around at yelled at me. I jumped off bed and ran through the open door, forgetting to put my trainers. The setting sun hit me on the face when I got out; I was half-blinded, so I had to go down the slope carefully so as not to trip and roll down the rest of the way.

I rushed towards the canteen and saw the queue. There were less people than yesterday, but I didn't want to wait with that psycho in a bad mood. I joined the queue and fiddled nervously with the hem of my t-shirt. Luckily, today it was faster than the other day; I tried to ignore the rude looks from the pirates and looked at the back of the man in front of me. My turn came; I grabbed the metal cutlery and stood in front of the cooker.

"If it isn't Vaas' bitch again, are you his errand girl now or what?" he drawled full of scorn.

"Vaas' bitch has to get his food right now, if you don't he will probably come here himself, and he's not in a good mood, would you like that?" I retorted with my voice full of spite. He filled one plate and half-filled the other, I left hurriedly.

I climbed the slope with the two dishes of fried noodles on each hand, which made it even more difficult. He wasn't waiting on the steps, I peeked hesitantly through the threshold; he was slumped on the bed, his legs still on the ground, rubbing his face with his hand furiously. He realised I was there and glared at me.

"It was fucking time you came," he walked to me and snatched the plate out of my grasp, he pushed me away none too gently. I sat on the grass as usually, noticing the tense atmosphere. I began to eat, though now I didn't feel quite as hungry as before. I had nearly finished my food when I saw a greyish blur flying beside me and the sound of metal clashing against rock. The metal plate had collided against a big rock in front of the shanty, its contents spilled over the ground.

"Fuck," I heard him rumble behind me. I looked at him sideways; I was starting to feel a bit freaked out by his behaviour, especially by how it would affect me. "Pick it up and take the dishes away," he barked at me.

Looking at my unfinished noodles and stifling an annoyed sigh I got up and scooped the food that had fallen to the ground into the plate. I scampered to the canteen, though I didn't feel like getting back to that lunatic. When I came back he wasn't on the steps, I entered into the shanty, he was sitting on the bed, his hands holding his neck with a pained expression. He directed his gaze towards me, it felt like two white-hot knifes going through me. He got up and dashed to me, I tried to recoil, but he was faster and grabbed me by the throat.

"I'm getting fucking tired of your shit, hermana. You keep looking at me as if I was fucking crazy, all frightened. And I'm getting fucking tired of it," he snarled, more a beast than a man; then, he dragged me by the neck towards the desk, until my legs were pressed against it. He was beginning to crush my windpipe with his hand, it was hard to breathe. I had never felt so terrified in my whole life; my body felt extremely cold and my heart was pounding inside my chest.

"I'm gonna show you what fucking fear is," he hissed, his nostrils flaring, eyebrows arched menacingly over his eyes, jaw clenched in rage. He reached with his other hand for something on the table; his switch blade. I felt ready to retch in fear, my whole body trembled. He opened it with his teeth and grabbed my face roughly to get a better grip. I tried to push him away, but it was like trying it with a wall. He pressed the flat, cold side of the blade against my face, just below the eye.

"Stay fucking still," he growled through his teeth. "Now, what could I do with you? I could carve some lines on your cheeks and ruin your face. Imagine that, every time you looked too the mirror you would remember how I did it; or maybe I could gouge one of your beautiful eyes out, how does that sound, hmmm?," my mouth felt extremely dry, and I felt so terrorized that I wouldn't have been able to cry even if I wanted.

He looked at me intently, as if he couldn't decide what to do with me. Then, unexpectedly, his grip began to lessen; he looked down, breathing loudly through his nose. He put the switchblade away and released my face, which hurt like hell right then; afterwards, he stroked my cheek lightly with his hand, as if trying to soothe me. He dragged his feet to the bed again, leaving the blade on the crate. I remained there, leaning with my hands against the table, not daring to move for fear I would fall to the ground. I hid my face from his sight and bit my lip harshly, tears threatening to overflow my eyes.

I looked up when I heard something heavy and wooden being dragged over the floor. He had put the crate on front of himself and was taking something out of his pockets. I watched him, feeling slightly curious; there was a little package of what looked like smoking paper and a little bag with dried green leaves. "Is he going to smoke pot?" I wondered.

"Hey, bring me a bag with tobacco from the first drawer of the desk," he said, concentrated on his task. I did as he told me and rummaged through the lot of rubbish he had there (bullets, pieces of paper, broken pencils…) I left it on the crate and sat on the floor, not really knowing what to do.

"Fucking neck," he groaned, rubbing his neck, "hurts like a bitch," he added. "That must be the reason he's so pissed off," I thought. "Come here and give me a massage, chica."

Did I hear well? I felt really bewildered that moment. "Hey, it wasn't a suggestion, it was an order, get behind me," he said pointing to his back with a free hand, clearly annoyed. I got up and crawled on bed behind him, I knelt behind him, my buttocks over my feet.

"Where does it hurt?" I asked tensely, I didn't even know where or how to start, what if I hurt him even more and he got more pissed off?(If that was even possible). "Neck and shoulders," he said plainly while he put marijuana and tobacco on a paper. "Ok, tell me if it hurts too much or whatever," I muttered, he grunted in answer.

I took a deep breath and put my hands over his shoulders; he was extremely tense, it was like having wood instead of flesh under my hands. I applied pressure with my fingers and palms, softly at first. I made circles with my thumbs, pressing harder; I felt him beginning to relax slightly. He took the half-made joint to his mouth and licked the paper to put it together. He lit it with a match and put it on his mouth; he sighed, apparently contented.

"Don't worry about hurting me, chica, do it harder," he said, his voice a lot calmer than before. I obeyed, the smell of marijuana was beginning to fill my nostrils, smoke swirling towards me; it wasn't an unpleasant smell. I continued with his neck, making pressure with the thumbs carefully. His shoulders relaxed visibly under my hands, he gave another long drag to the joint.

The smoke from the joint was having effect over me, or maybe I thought so and it was just a placebo. However, I was getting more and more relaxed; I sat in a more slumped manner, and began noticing other things around me. The greyish smoke spiralled to the ceiling endlessly, like a long thread twisting itself over and over. I also spotted other scars on the pirate; he had quite a few on his scalp, clearly visible through the dark stubble that was beginning to grow on his head. He also had on his shoulders and neck, they had a curious texture under my fingers, more…leathery would be the word.

We were silent; the only things that could be heard were our breath and the sounds from the camp. He sighed, his shoulders sagging even more. "Uff, that's so much better," he mumbled while he scratched his face.

All of a sudden, I realized how awkward and strange the situation was. I was giving a massage to the man who planned to ransom me; someone who had mistreated me and would probably keep doing it. My hands froze for a second when I remembered what had happened only minutes ago, how he had threatened to hurt me. I forced my hands to continue with what I was doing, how could his mood change so fast? He had been raging at me, furious, and now he looked ready to fall asleep.

"I think that's enough, honey, I feel a lot better," he said. I let my hands fall, he got up and flexed his neck back and forth. "Yeah, so much fucking better," he walked to the TV and crouched in front of the DVDs.

"Hmmm, don't know what we could watch tonight," he muttered to himself. Then he turned to me.

"Tell you what, I'm gonna give you a treat. You can choose a film," he said with an ample grin. I raised my eyebrows in surprise.

"Really?" I wondered.

"Yep, so choose one while I get comfy, ok?" he walked to bed again, I heard the mattress creaking under his weight. I squatted and looked through the stacks for a while; then I found _The dark knight rises_. I smiled slightly when I saw it, I really liked that movie.

"Mmmm, is _The dark knight rises_ ok?" I asked.

"Batman and the dude with the mask-thingy? Yeah," he answered.

I inserted the DVD and lighted the TV on, I walked to the bed and sat in my "usual" place. He still had the joint on his hand; he put a dirty ashtray at his side of the bed. I leaned against the wall, legs slightly flexed and focused on the film. He seemed to like it, or maybe he was too stoned to care; in any case, it was an advantage for me. It felt really nice seeing something familiar like Batman facing evil. However, in the real world there were no heroes like him to save the day, even if there were plenty of villains; and one of them sat by my side.

"Dude, gotta say that to someone sometime, "now, you have my permission to die," "he tried to imitate Bane's choked voice. I would have laughed if I hadn't known he talked seriously.

I was beginning to focus on the film again when I felt his hand on my knee; I looked at it sideways, just resting over me. My body strained in one second; I wanted to go away from him but, if I did, he would probably go berserk again. Seemingly encouraged by my unresponsiveness, his hand began to trail upwards, towards my thigh. I felt the rough texture of the frayed bandage, and his calloused fingers on my skin, it stopped near my hipbone and left it there.

I was terribly conscious of it during the rest of the film, I couldn't concentrate properly. He had begun to toy with the hem of my shorts in a distracted manner. The film finally came to an end, he yawned loudly.

"Well, chica, to bed," he patted my thigh. I felt relief washing over me when he took his hand away. He stood up and began to undress for the night; I remained where I was. He turned to me, his top on one hand.

"Aren't you going to get comfortable, or something?" he said with a slight frown.

"I'm fine like this," I replied trying to keep my voice even.

"You weren't so fucking prudish the other day in front of my men," he replied; I bit my lip.

"Fine, then," I said through gritted teeth.

I stood up and unbuttoned my shorts, letting them fall to the floor. Then I took my tank and loosened my bra, tossing it to the ground. He smirked when he saw me practically naked. I slid the tank over myself, feeling really awkward under his gaze.

"What, something you like?" I snapped, not able to help myself; I regretted it the moment it came out of my lips. However, a crooked smile crept over his face.

"Shouldn't I, chica?" he teased, his voice low.

I turned away from him, feeling unnerved and angered. I heard his trousers falling to the floor, he groaned when he lay on the bed. Trying to hide my discomfort, I crawled to the other side of the bed, careful not to even brush him.

"Ah, almost fucking forgot," he mumbled, he leaned towards the bottom of the bed and secured the cuff around my ankle. "We don't want you going away, don't we?" I heard him mutter, then he squeezed my ankle; I couldn't see his face because I was facing the wall, but by his tone I could imagine his grin.

Finally, he turned the lights off; I felt him shifting on bed, trying to find a comfortable position. He rested with his back practically against mine; I couldn't get away from him, as my knees were already touching the wooden wall. His breath turned slow and deep; part of me envied him for being able to fall asleep so easily.

It felt as if it was going to be a long night for me, every time I closed my eyes I saw the pirate's face near mine, the knife against my face. Why couldn't he leave me in my cage? Why me? Probably there was no answer to those questions, that man was insane, that much was clear. He thought he could do anything he wanted to anyone he wanted; after all, he was the one in command in that place. What would happen to me if my parents weren't able to pay? Would he really kill us? The darkest and pessimistic part of me cackled hollowly; of course he would, he had said it, and seemed to be talking seriously.

I tried to force my body to relax, beginning by the feet and ending with my mind; I had tried those techniques before exams and worked rather well. However, this time I wasn't facing a test and the possibility of failing it; I faced a dangerous, psychopathic pirate who would kill me even for looking at him in a way he didn't like.

I tossed and turned for what felt like years, not being able to move too much just in case the man next to me woke up. My eyes felt sore and itched and, at some moment, I fell into a nightmare. I was in a meadow in the middle of the jungle, a downpour of water soaking and blurring every tree and plant. On the centre there was a bamboo cage, I got near it, my parents were inside of it. They didn't even look at me, they looked…defeated, just as the other captives I had met on that island.

"Mom, dad," I whispered, grasping a bar, wanting to take them out of it. "I'll get you out of here, I won't let you die," they said nothing, just kept staring at the mud.

"So, you want them to be free, don't you, chica?" said a voice I knew and hated. He was behind me, I could feel it. "Yes," I answered laconically.

"Well, I will need something in exchange… maybe I could gouge one of your beautiful eyes out, how does that sound, hmmm?" he appeared in front of me and sunk a knife into my eye. I woke up with a start in the middle of the night, once again.


	7. Chapter 7- Skin

**Hello! Here I am again :D**

**The seventh chapter. It has taken me longer than the others because I have many things to do, but I try to write at least a bit every day, I can't tell you how relaxing it is.**

**Thank to those who read this, to the ones who suscribed and to Badi-otaku and the guest who left me reviews :)**

**There is an erotic scene on this chapter, and some M rated language, but nothing too serious. **

**I do not own Far Cry, nor none of its characters.**

**Finally, thanks for reading my submissions, I will try to keep up with the updates. If you see any mistake or something that needs to be improved, let me know; and if you have something interesting you wouldn't mind seeing on the story ;)**

* * *

A stinging pain on my right arm awoke me that moment. I shrieked in fear and pain, sitting up and looking around. The pirate's hand hovered over me, I raised my arm to shield myself from another possible blow.

"What the…why did you hit me?" I asked in alarm, I pushed my back against the wall, feeling rather groggy.

"Hey, hey, chica, calm the fuck down; had a big wasp on the arm, I killed it, see?" he looked as sleepy as I did; he pointed at my arm with one finger. I looked and saw a wasp, or what remained of it, squashed on my arm; it was really disgusting.

"Anyway, why couldn't you just shoo it away or whatever? No need to hit me," I tried not to sound too reproachful, he laughed under his breath.

"Sorry, hermana, it was the fastest way. Better being slapped than stung, don't you think?" he released the cuff and got up, he stretched, entwining his hands behind his neck. I got up and began to look for my clothes.

"Jesus, chica, I don't know what the fuck you did to my back, but today it feels waaay better," he flexed his arms.

"You are welcome, I suppose," I said in a low voice, busy buttoning my shorts up.

"Get breakfast, I'm gonna take a shower," he strolled out of the place, wearing nothing but his trousers. I tried to clean the rests of wasp rubbing the arm against the threshold. I really needed to take a shower, and change clothes too; these ones were beginning to be smelly. I wrinkled my nose, if I felt dirty, how would the others be?

I got down to camp, there were a bunch of pirates around a crate playing a game that involved…a snake, a live snake. One of them put his hand near it and put it away swiftly when the snake was about to strike. The others laughed and taunted him with "being such a big pussy."

"Hey, honey, wanna play with us?" screamed one of them when he saw me.

"Nah, come with me, we'd enjoy ourselves," said other, he raised his forefinger and heart and put them to the corners of his mouth, and then he stuck his tongue out and made licking motions. I snorted derisively and looked at them with disdain; did he really expect me to come?

"Dude, should know better than do that, she's Vaas' fucktoy," said other.

Vaas' bitch, Vaas' fucktoy, the boss' bitch; I was getting tired of it. Had I been reduced to that, Vaas' toy? Now I was chica, hermana or puta most of the time, not Sofía anymore. I kicked an empty and rusty can that lay on the ground, a useless object.

Still brooding over this, I reached the canteen and got the usual things. I didn't have to hurry as much as he was having a shower, maybe I could ask him to let me have one later. It was extremely annoying having to ask permission for everything, wondering if he would relent or punish me for wanting something. I had always been pretty independent, and now I was in this situation, doing everything he told me.

I got to the top of the hill; the sentries looked at me from their towers. Did they wonder as much as I did what I was doing with that lunatic? He wasn't on the door, or in the shanty. I waited for him on the steps, holding the fruit on my lap; a few minutes later he strolled from the back of the shack.

His Mohawk looked wet and sharp-defined, I noticed he had taken the bandages and the plasters from his hands. The bandage hid a gash on the back of his hand, already scabbed and yellowing; on his fingers he had other little wounds, they seemed rather old too. I noticed the round tattoo on his chest, it looked like the face of some kind of beast, though I couldn't distinguish which one.

He seemed to realise I was looking at him, I pretended to be looking at the camp; he smiled teasingly at me and raised an eyebrow. He stopped in front of me, hands on his hips; I kept ignoring him, though I could feel the rising heat on my ears.

"Find something interesting, chica?" he asked roguishly, he sidestepped me and entered into the shanty. I just waited for him until he emerged from it, I got up from the steps and gave him his mango, then sat on my usual place. I noticed he had changed clothes, a faded but cleaner red tank and plain khaki trousers instead of camo.

The sun shone over the camp, the weather was really nice, it was hot, but not too much. The bananas were very good too, I just needed a shower and that man not bothering me and I would have felt happier than I had in a long time. I ended the last bite of the fruit, I looked at him sideways; he had finished too.

Should I ask him to let me use the shower? The other day he had taken me to the river because I was covered in mud and stank, the question was if he would allow me this time. What if he asked something in exchange? What if he tried…"Stop it," said a firm voice inside my head. "You can't know what he will do until you ask, try to be nice and not demanding, and hope it works."

"Eh…Vaas?" he was lighting a cigarette in that moment, he grunted to show that he was listening.

"I was wondering if I could take a shower, I'm beginning to stink…" he looked at me.

"Yeah, you can," he said as if it was something obvious. "You could have told me sooner, though. We could have shared it and saved water…you know, save the motherfucking pandas and shit," a wild smile distorted his face.

I felt goose bumps on the back of my neck at the innuendo on his voice. I grunted noncommittally and rose to my feet to get my things, he was still smiling while he looked at the camp. I entered the shanty and fished my toilet bag from under the bed, where I had chucked it the first day, my dirty clothes were there too. I came out with my towel, shampoo, gel and comb.

"Enjoy your shower, guapa!" screamed the pirate after me, I exhaled my breath through my nose when I was far enough. Why did he keep doing that? Did he find entertaining making me feel ill at ease? I opened the door of the booth, a streamlet of water had escaped from under it, leaving the ground muddy.

After I had stepped inside, I inspected the door to see if there was some way I could bolt it. There wasn't, of course; he wouldn't need one, this shower was only his apparently, and I don't think his men would open the door. I tried to fit the door securely so it wouldn't swing open while I was there naked. I left the towel hanging on the door and began to undress myself.

I sniffed my shirt, it was a bit stale and stained after wearing it almost four days in a row. I needed to wash it; however, I didn't know what would I wear while I washed it and let it dry it. I was not about to wander around naked with that pirate near. Maybe I could wash the other clothes, the ones I had worn the first days, wash and then wait for them to dry and I could wash the others. My top was ruined though; I could always wear it open or try to tie it around my waist. Nevertheless, the idea of going down to the camp wearing such an outfit didn't look a good idea either; those stupid pirates could take it as an invitation.

I hung the clothes on the door and left them there, I put my trainers out and turned to the hose. I opened the rusty tap on the wall and the tube began to spout freezing cold water. I suppose expecting a hot shower in the middle of the jungle was too big a luxury, but I would get by with cold water. I got under it, letting it soak me. It was really cold, maybe they extracted it from a nearby river.

I picked up the shampoo and began lather my hair, kneading it thoroughly knowing I had more time. I supposed I had more time, at least; what if the pirate got tired and decided to take me out of there? What if he got some other idea when he saw me? "Stop being such a paranoid pussy, he said you could have a shower," I scolded myself.

I rinsed the foam off my hair and poured some gel on my hands, then started spreading it over my skin. I reached my breasts, one of my hands glanced my left nipple. My nerves, already stimulated by the cold water and the air inside the booth sent other sensations to my brain. It felt good, it felt pleasurable; but those good feelings began to feel tainted by the memories of the other day. I sensed his hands over my body again, him pressed against my back, forcing me to submit. I gritted my teeth; even my body betrayed me in that place. My hands were petrified over my breasts.

Two furious and burning tears rolled down my cheeks, in utter contrast with the coldness of the water. He had made me fear my own body, the sensations. "Oh, come on; you didn't want to feel what you felt. The human body can't distinguish between rape and consensual sex; you have a body, which means you have senses. Some women who have suffered sexual assault had orgasms during it, and it doesn't mean they wanted it or consented to it, nor were looking for it," reasoned part of me, I had heard about those kinds of cases. I wasn't willing to letting him affect me so much.

I forced my hands to descend to my stomach; I rubbed the gel over it, watching my hands doing it. I breathed deeply and relaxed my body, concentrating on my hands and skin. I exhaled through my mouth and let my hand glide between my legs; a flash of the pirates tried to break into my mind. However, this was different, I could feel it; my fingers were much smaller and softer, and they didn't touch as uncouthly as those two pirates from the beginning. I slipped them between my lips and stroked softly, I sighed.

"Hermana, have you drowned or what?" _his_ voice snapped me out of my trance.

"N…No, I'm fine," I answered, my voice quaking. "Of course," I thought bitterly "there's no way I can have a moment for myself," I took my hands from where they were and ended washing my arms and legs. I closed the tap again and reached for my clothes, they still hung over the door. I got dressed again and wrapped my wet bottles with the towel. I came out and crouched to put my trainers on.

The pirate stood in front of the mirror, a razor on his hand. He put it to his neck and started sliding it upwards. I combed my hair, it had got tangled again. I eyed surreptitiously at the man in front of the mirror; it was utterly odd seeing someone as unhinged and cruel as him doing something as commonplace as shaving. It struck me that I hadn't brushed my teeth since I came; I decided to go to the shanty to pick the brush and toothpaste.

"Is it ok if I go back to pick my toothbrush?" I asked him.

"Yeah, and don't ask me permission for everything, it's fucking annoying. You can get down to camp, or whatever; I don't fucking care," I had started walking the moment he said yes, but stopped dead on my tracks when I realised what he meant.

"Really? Why the change of heart?" I asked distrustfully, he clicked his tongue in annoyance.

"Every entrance to the camp is guarded, and even if you got out you would have to face the jungle. See this?" he lifted the bottom of his top and pointed with his hand at the lower part of his back, I squinted my eyes, not wanting to get near. There were four parallel scars, rather old. "Big-ass tiger did that, so…"

"Tigers? Here?" I felt myself going pale.

"Yeah," he chuckled, looking at my reaction from the mirror. "Bears, leopards, boars...come on, use your fucking head; this is the jungle, not fucking Central Park."

He was right, of course (and I can't tell how I hated to admit it) but we were in some South-Asiatic isolated island, it was logical there was that variety of wildlife.

"So, now I can go wherever I can inside of the camp," I muttered to myself in amazement, I still had trouble believing it; he turned to me with a deep frown.

"Fuck, hermana, I didn't think you had shit for brains, do I have to slap the fuck out of you so you get it?" he turned his body towards me threateningly. I recoiled instinctively, I raised my hands, one of them still held the towel with my things.

"Ok, Ok; I get it, I get it; I'm gonna pick my toothbrush," I said, hoping he would calm down. Then, he laughed, a deep low laugh.

"Ok, chica, no need to get flustered, you can go," he said with a grin and turned again to keep on shaving. I left for the shanty, feeling extremely stupid and nervous. I put my things inside the bag again and took the toothpaste and brush. I went to the back of the house again; the pirate was still there. I squeezed some paste out of the tube and brushed my teeth carefully, for a long while. When I finished I spat among the bushes and rinsed my mouth with water from the hose. The pirate had already finished and left.

I wandered back to the shanty, the pirate was nowhere to be seen; he had left me out of the shanty while he wasn't there, he had been serious about giving me more freedom. I decided to make the most of this and stay a bit under the sun. There was a tree to the right of the house, it was as if it wanted me to relax under its shade. I lay down on the grass and stretched on my back, then intertwined my fingers behind my neck. I sighed, totally relaxed.

The place was perfect, I could bask in the sun with my face under the shade of the tree so its glare wouldn't blind me. I closed my eyes and enjoyed the heat on my now fresh and clean body, not even the wetness of my hair made me uncomfortable. I could feel the soft breeze blowing over me, the grass tickling my skin.

My mind had begun to slip away from that place when a shadow darkened the sun. I opened my eyes: the pirate's silhouette was cut by the sun, I couldn't distinguish his features but I knew it was him, possibly by his stance.

"Move," he said plainly, he pointed to the side with his left hand.

I got to my feet and stood to the side, he dumped to the ground with a grunt and stretched pretty much into the same posture as I had been.

"It's my place," he said, scratching his neck lazily. "You can sit again, don't stay there like a fucking idiot," he grunted, opening one eye and looking at me.

I sat a bit away from him and tried to get back to how I was. I found it impossible, as the ground seemed to be full of uncomfortable lumps, and I couldn't totally get the sun out of my face. I turned my face to the other side, totally aware of that man's presence, hearing him breath rhythmically. I began to find a place that wasn't lumpy and put my hands under my head.

"So fucking nice to laze around from time to time," he said in a sleepy voice, I grunted slightly to let him understand that I had heard.

We remained silent for the next minutes, he looked very relaxed, but I wasn't. It was as if he had polluted the atmosphere, like a machine rumbling in a peaceful forest. I heard him moving next to me, he was sitting cross-legged, lighting a cigarette, he put it in his mouth and exhaled a big puff of smoke. He looked at me sideways, I pretended to look somewhere else.

He poked my stomach with one finger, and my body twitched in response, I turned to look at him, did he really had to disturb me?

"Don't you relax, like, never?" he asked bluntly. I would have wanted to tell him that I had been rather relaxed until he had arrived, but it wouldn't have been the best of ideas.

"I'm relaxed right now," I said looking at the foliage above me.

He snorted derisively and lay down again, smoking from time to time. Why couldn't he go somewhere else? He had the whole island, but he had to be here to spoil the best moment I had had for days. I felt restless with him beside me, even if he was in a calmed mood; there was no telling if that would end at any moment.

On the other hand, he didn't seem to mind me being there; of course, he had no reason to fear me: he had the guns, the muscle, and the men. I was just an average girl with no idea about fighting, and I was his captive. It was as if some recess of my brain never forgot that, a constant nagging thought in the back of my head. It also reminded me of what he had done to the Japanese man the second day; a few words, a few badly chosen words, had been enough to get him killed. He had done nothing, he only asked him to leave the boy alone.

I looked at the man beside me, the monster, the murderer, and a shiver travelled down my spine. What if he decided to kill me? I needed to move away from him for a while at the very least; I got up and prepared to leave.

"Chica, where are you going now?" he asked without looking at me.

"I…I'm going to pick up the book from the shanty," I said, he just grunted and put an arm over his eyes.

I came inside and took the book from the desk. I got back to the tree and sat with my back against the trunk, a pair of metres away from Vaas. Was he going to spend the whole morning lying there, doing nothing? I opened the book and threw myself inside it. I came out of my daydream at some moment, I felt hungry; the pirate lay there, fast asleep, I could tell. I got up and stretched, looking warily at the pirate; his expression was relaxed, mouth half-open, he breathed in and out regularly.

I felt like doing some exercise, I left the book near and strolled to the back of the hut, conscious of being looked by one of the guards in the towers. Behind the outhouse descended another slope. Feeling curious, I walked between the big-leafed trees; there was some kind of glade down there, and behind a wall made of metal scraps and wood. I touched it, it looked resistant enough. The undisturbed grass, the peace, the silence, looked out of place inside the camp; I was alone, maybe I could do some exercises. It felt good trying to keep something similar to a routine, I rested on the ground after I finished doing push-ups.

I was wiping off some sweat from my forehead when I heard a faint rustling behind me, I turned around hastily. The pirate was there, he looked at me quizzically.

"The fuck are you doing here? I'm fucking hungry, go fetch foo!?" I stood up wordlessly and marched up the slope. There was a general ambiance of laziness in the whole camp, one pirate scratched his ass while he yawned, slumped on a couch. I waited in the long queue at the canteen, it was hot down there, and full of irksome gnats. My turn came.

"Here you are, slut," growled the cook.

"Thank you," I looked at him in the eye defiantly before I left.

I got back with our food; it looked like diced chicken meat with vegetables. The pirate waited for me on the steps. I gave him his plate, he left it on the steps and gripped my wrist before I could leave.

"Why the fuck were you down there?" he asked.

"I don't know, I felt like walking around and went there, can't I, you said that I could." I replied, trying to keep my nerves under control.

"I know what I fucking said; anyway, you can go around if you want, but don't get too far. Is it understood?" he stared at me.

"Yes," I said firmly.

"I'm giving you a little treat because I felt like doing it; but if you don't toe the fucking line…" he raised his free hand and put a finger against my temple. "Bum, get it?"

"Got it," I tried not to blink when he made the shooting sound. He released my arm and, supposing that was everything he had to say, sat down to eat.

We ate silently; I preferred it, what else would I do? Have some empty chit-chat with that pirate? I finished my dish and examined my dirty tank. I should wash my clothes, maybe I could do it now that I didn't have anything to do. I took the dishes to the washing pile and got back; The pirate was sitting on the bed, a laptop on his legs.

"I need to wash my clothes, I'll be behind if you want to know it," I informed him, he raised one arm and flicked his wrist outwards, as if saying I could go. I picked the bundle of stiff and dirty clothes and my bottle of gel and walked out. I opened the door of the shower booth, I would have to wash them there somehow. I opened the tap and put the clothes under the water, then turned it off and rubbed them with gel. I would have wanted to wash my tank and my panties, but with that madman around…

I rinsed the water off them and wrung them until the last droplet of water had fallen. It had taken a while, and my fingertips were turning wrinkly. At least now I would have my other bra and short clean. A lot of water had splashed on my tank during the process, and my arms were rather wet too. I came out with the clothes; I saw a tree with a low-hanging branch and left them there to dry.

"I hope they dry soon, though with this hot weather it will probably be in a few hours," I thought while I came back to the shanty. "I have no clean panties, on the other hand, nor a cleaner tank. Maybe I could wait until that pirate goes for a while and then wash them and wait until they get dry…"

If I had been paying attention, I would have noticed the noises coming from the shack, the door was ajar. I opened the door carelessly and stepped inside; to my surprise, I saw the TV turned on, two blond women with enormous breasts on the screen; one of them with her legs spread while the other introduced her fingers inside her.

Lying on bed, a hand inside his pants, was the pirate; looking at me blushed and with fire in his eyes. We stood frozen for an instant, like a living picture.

"Oh, shit….I…I'm sorry," I had to leave that place before he exploded. I stumbled out of the cabin and walked hurriedly to the other side of the slope, hoping to put some distance between him and me.

"COME HERE, NOW!" he appeared at the door, livid with rage. I stopped dead and hesitated, he would punish me for that.

"It will be worse if you make me go there, NOW!" he roared. Grabbing nervously at the hem of my pants and looking at the ground, I stood in front of the steps.

"DO YOU HAVE….DO YOU HAVE ANY. FUCKING. IDEA. HOW RUDE THAT WAS? Huh? You fucking bitch! Look at me in the fucking eye!" I raised my eyes; his face was terrifying: lips retracted into a snarl, his jagged scar looking even more irregular because of his distorted face.

He grabbed the front of my tank and pulled me roughly into the shanty. He released me and clenched a fist in front of my face, as if he was ready to hit me; I prepared myself for a possible blow. Surprisingly, he walked away from me.

"So, there I was, trying to chill for a fucking while, when you interrupted me. Didn't your papás taught you to knock the door before entering somewhere or what? You really fucking messed me up, hermana," he gestured wildly with his arms while he walked around the room; the sounds from the porn movie could still be heard on the background.

"Now, what the fuck am I going to do with you?" he wondered; if there was a moment to talk, it was this, I hated pleading, but it seemed the best choice I had.

"Look, I can't tell you how sorry I feel. It was my fault, ok? Please, I'll do anything so you forgive this little mistake…" I regretted saying that when I saw how his expression changed. He didn't look enraged, he smiled; a ferocious and uncanny smile. It was as if my blood had curdled on my veins, what now?

"Hmmmm, would you?" he walked towards me, eyes shining darkly. "Well…Turns out I have a few ideas about what you could do," he raised his hand and put it on my left breast, then let it descend to left hip. I dug my fingers against my thigh and bit my tongue; his eyes were full of lust and ravenous hunger, I had seen it when I had to take my clothes in front of him for the first time. My mouth began to feel dry and I felt the hairs at my nape standing on end.

"Nah…I was in the mood for a jerk-off, but you fucked it up," he squeezed my flesh slightly and then let his hand fall to his side. "But…yeah, why not? You could help me to get in the mood again, if you know what I mean," he raised his eyebrows.

"What do you mean?" I asked, suspecting what his idea was, and not liking it at all.

"Don't play innocent with me, sweetheart; you know fucking well what I mean…" he walked to the chair and sat on it, one elbow leaning against the desk.

"What the fuck do you want me to do?" I asked, feeling desperate. I did not think I would be able to do it, but he wouldn't pay any attention and, if he did, I would probably be punished.

"Do I have to tell you everything? You lie in bed, get comfortable and touch yourself in a nice way…making sure I like it," his smile grew even more at my expression. I bet he loved seeing me in this predicament. With a frustrated groan, I dragged my feet to the bed.

"Tut, tut, tut, hermana; what's good if you are clothed? Come on, stark naked on the bed. Do it nice and slow," I bit the inside of my mouth, wishing I could kill him with one glance. I crouched and took my trainers off, then took my tank and tossed it to the ground. Secondly, my shorts slid down my legs; after that, I undid my bra, hooked my finger on one cup and threw it to the ground. Finally I pulled my panties away from my body and let them fall into a heap.

"Yes, that's better," he said in a low deep voice. "Don't stay there, on the bed," gritting my teeth, I did as he said. I lay on my back, utterly conscious of his eyes on my figure. "Come on, do whatever you do when you are alone…think you are at home and turned on."

"That's more easily said than done, asshole," I thought resentfully. Taking a few deep breaths, and reminding myself of what was at stake, I steeled myself. I put my hands over my breasts and stroked them, trailing my fingers down my stomach.

"Spread your legs, honey," he said huskily; I sensed the air on my nether parts, I gasped at the sensation. My hand travelled slowly between my legs and let my fingers brush against my lips. I used the other hand to caress my stomach and breast, hoping feeling my own touch would help me concentrate. At least in that position I only had to look at the ceiling, and not at him.

I slipped one finger to my clitoris and pressed softly; my slit was rather dry, it would get chafed after a while. Feeling even more embarrassed, I put my first two fingers to my mouth and licked them, then stroked the ball of nerves again. I stifled a gasp when I felt the wetness; I made circles around it with the tips of my fingers for a while.

What the hell was happening? I was naked on a bed, touching myself to entertain my captor, how could I have ended like this? I applied more pressure with my fingers, my body began to feel hot; droplets of sweat formed on my forehead. Pleasure was building inside me, even if I didn't want to have another orgasm in front of HIM. However, my hands felt familiar and soft, and nobody knew my body better than me.

My other hand went between my legs too. I introduced one of my fingers inside of me; I was getting wet, I was reminded of the time on the river. It was his fault, all of this was because of him; if he hadn't make us fight I wouldn't be here. "Don't think that, it will do no good," advised the most sensible part of me.

"Come on, guapa, cum for me…" he said in a raspy voice from the chair. I noticed the change in his breathing, it was more shallow and fast.

I bit my lower lip and took my other finger from my vagina, then used it to help the other. The combined touch on that sensitive organ caused a myriad of sensations in me. My body tensed and I couldn't suppress a soft moan; I could hear my own laboured breathing. I rubbed faster and harder, increasing the pressure; my body arched slightly and I closed my eyes tightly. A sensation coming from my loins flooded my whole body. My body tensed and I moaned, totally out of control; it was as if the world disappeared for a few instants, as if I was out of it.

I rested for a few moments, completely out of breath. My body shook slightly, lying spread-eagled on the bed. I heard movement from the other side and remembered the pirate; he had seen _everything_, shame joined the other sensations.

"Huh, wow…chica, fuck. That was really nice," he said, gasping for breath himself. I got up from the bed, not minding my nakedness; I eyed him, he sat sprawled on the chair, his tanned skin slightly flushed, a satisfied expression on his face.

"Is it enough?" I asked, my mouth dry, feeling light-headed.

"Yeah, more than enough," he looked at me keenly for a few seconds, as if he found me really interesting. I bended to pick up my things from the ground and began to get dressed. I finished, the pirate had got up and opened the fridge, he was downing a bottle of beer.

"I'm leaving, chica. I'll leave the door open so you can go out or whatever, just don't go too far," before he left he delivered a sharp slap to my butt. I bit my tongue and glared at his back while he left sniggering under his breath.

"Motherfucker," I thought angrily. I needed to leave that place and stop thinking, so I went back to the tree and picked the book up. I read for what looked like hours, until the twilight changed the sky. The book emptied my mind of all the dark thoughts that crowded my mind, so I could feel grateful for its presence. I revised my drying clothes and went back to the shack.

It didn't look like the pirate was coming, I reasoned. "Now I can go wherever I want, maybe I could get dinner for myself, if he comes back I'll go back for his," I waited in the usual queue, looking for the pirate with my gaze in case he was there.

"Only one plate?" grunted that disgusting cook.

"Yeah, only one plate," he ladled some soup on it, even less than other times. I pulled a face at him and left, my head as high as I could.

I sat on the usual place, it was strange not having the pirate behind me. I noticed the birds in the jungle sang even louder during this time of the day. It felt rather good being there, even if my rations were rather meagre, but it was the first time I had eaten three meals in a day in that island; it must be some kind of record for a captive.

I went down to the camp and left my plate there, ignoring the remarks from a pair of passing-by pirates.

"Shake that ass for me, girl!" said one of them, I just kept walking.

I felt exhausted; as if I had been doing things all day long. I changed clothes and lay down on bed, turning off the lights. My body felt pleasantly heavy, and I felt myself sinking into a soft slumber. The last thing I felt was a warm hand and then something cold circling my ankle.


	8. Chapter 8- Numbness

**Hi! How are you?**

**Eighth chapter (at last). With so many courses to attend and homework to do I only have a few moments to add a few paragraphs for my story. Luckily, most of the time I have already planned what I want to say.**

**As always, many many thanks to those who are reading this story, suscribed or reviewed, it feels really gratifying to know your opinion.**

**Nothing too big to worry about on this chapter, just some language and adult-ish stuff.**

**I do not own Far Cry, nor none of its characters.**

**I will have the next chapter as soon as I can, depending on the workload I have :). As always, if you see any mistake let me know through a PM or the review page, or if you have something to say related to the story (or unrelated, I don't mind ;) let me know.**

**naiara9321**

* * *

I woke up in the middle of the night, something hot was pressed against my back, nearly pushing me against the wall under the window. It was the pirate's back, I could feel his body expanding and contracting with each breath against my own body. I squirmed uncomfortably, feeling a terrible need to go to the bathroom, my mouth as dry as a desert.

"God, I need to pee so bad…" I thought, rubbing my eyes. It was dark inside the shack, the only light that came were the slivers of pale clarity coming through the barred window. I sat gingerly and looked hesitantly at the man sleeping beside me. He lay on his side, legs curled and hands closed into fists on the mattress. I tried to get up, and groaned inwardly when the cuff stopped my leg.

Fearing his reaction, I decided to ignore my body and tried to fall asleep again, even if I knew it would be useless. Keeping my legs crossed, I curled on my side, trying to avoid contact with Vaas, but there was little room for it. After a few minutes, I understood it was hopeless, I would have to ask him to open the cuff.

"Vaas," I said in a barely audible whisper; no response, of course, it was impossible he had heard it. "Vaas," I raised my voice this time, he gave a louder snore, probably disturbed in his sleep. Feeling impatient and with my bladder about to explode, I sat up and stared at him for a few seconds, as if willing him to wake up.

"Vaas," doubt and fear filling every corner of my being, I raised a hand and tapped his shoulder. He stirred and grunted, then muttered something I didn't quite understand; it didn't sound like English or Spanish. My whole body in tension, I prodded him again, not too hard.

"¿Qué cojones pasa?" he rasped in a loud voice, he sat up swiftly, then slammed a hand on my chest, pressing me against the window, I yelped in pain when my head collided against one of the bars.

"¡Eh! ¡Que soy yo, suéltame!" I croaked, speaking in Spanish instinctively. He looked at me, he still looked dazed, but it was amazing how fast he had reacted.

"¿Qué coño hacías, puta?[1] You scared me to death, you piece of shit," He hissed reproachfully, his grip on my neck lessened slightly.

"I'm sorry Vaas, I needed to go to the toilet and I'm cuffed," I raised my hand and tried to pry his fingers away from my neck, the corner of the square bar was digging into my head.

"Why the fuck should I care? You should have gone before going to sleep, your fucking fault, hermana," he growled.

"Yes, I know; it won't happen again, but I need to go, seriously," apparently appeased, he stopped squeezing; he rubbed his thumb over my neck and then he let me go.

"Ok, but if you do it again you will be fucking sorry, I swear" he swung his legs out of bed and shambled to the desk, he opened the cuff. I got up, remembering why I had woken him up.

"Thank you," I said, opening the door. I walked as fast as I could to the back of the shack and hid among some bushes. A sigh of deep relief escaped my lips. I walked under the starry sky to the cabin, wondering how I hadn't tripped on the way out. I saw a figure walking out of the shack; it was Vaas.

"I'm finished, I was just coming back," I explained, supposing why he was there.

Without saying a word, he got to me and pushed me hard against the wall, holding me in place with his body. I froze for a moment, but a moment later I began to try to push him off me.

"You shouldn't walk around half naked while it is dark…who knows what could happen, hmmm?" he mumbled against my ear. His lips brushed my neck, face hair tickled against my skin. I felt so taken aback that I stopped fighting gradually.

"Yeah, that's better, honey, no need to piss me off even more, don't you think?" his hands, which had been against the wall to the sides of my shoulders, went to my buttocks, pulling me against him. His body felt hard against mine, as if I was compressed between two walls.

I lingered as I was, arms hanging limply at my sides, fists clenched. I could feel a bulge inside his boxers; he pushed himself against me even more.

"I didn't like it when you woke me up, not one fucking bit. But...I don't know, now that we are awake…" suddenly, he slid one of his hands over my head, tangling a fistful of hair between his fingers. He rammed his mouth against mine, holding my head in place so I wouldn't move. He tried to force my lips open with his tongue, but I kept them stubbornly shut. His other hand left my butt and rose to my waist, forcing me against him.

He caught my lower lip with his teeth, biting it hard enough to break my half-healed skin; he ran his raspy tongue over the little wound; I grunted slightly because of the stinging sensation on my lip. He took advantage of this and forced my mouth open with his, kissing me harshly. I could taste tobacco and alcohol on his mouth, as well as my coppery blood; he had showered today, but I could still perceive the smell of cigarettes on him. His hand moved from my waist to under my tank. I tensed even more when the tips of his fingers trailed over my stomach, cupping one of my breasts and squeezing it, flicking my nipple with a thumb in the process.

He kissed and touched me for what looked like an excruciatingly long amount of time. He broke the kiss; he had been so rough that my lips throbbed. He chuckled deeply, still gripping me tightly.

"What if we keep having fun inside, honey?" he rasped, his voice laden with lust. I couldn't see his face, but I could imagine it; my jaw tightened in fury, hating feeling so powerless. Surprisingly, he laughed aloud and separated himself from me.

"Don't worry, chica, I was just kidding; I'm too fucking sleepy for that…I prefer to be awake when I fuck," he ruffled my hair with one hand, as if I was a child. He went into the shanty, snickering softly.

I stood there for a few seconds, fighting the urge of going after him and trying to hit him. A pointy little stone had been digging into the sole of my foot and I had barely registered it. I shook it off violently, sending it far from me.

Seething with fury, I stomped into the hut and then crawled into bed, avoiding the pirate. He sat up and grabbed my ankle to close the cuff around it. I exhaled through my nose in exasperation, while I tried to find a comfortable position.

"Night, hermana," he muttered behind me.

"Night," I answered, clutching the sheets under my body, wanting to turn my words into poison.

I felt a hard poke on my stomach, I slapped away whatever was doing it and tried to keep sleeping. I felt another prod, this time harder. I opened my eyes and saw the madman beside me, his forefinger hovering over me.

"The fuck are you doing?" I croaked, sitting up straight.

"Good morning, sunshine," he grumbled, jumping out of bed. "You look like a fucking zombie; wake up, chica," he said, looking at me while he put his trousers on, I put my feet on the ground.

"Didn't sleep well," I grunted, my head hurt like hell, and my mouth was dry, parched.

"Shame, I slept like a log," he said, putting his belt into place.

"Maybe I'm just dehydrated, I'll go to the hose…" I said, thinking aloud. I was sitting on bed getting dressed. He was busying himself checking that his guns were loaded and in their place.

"There's water in the fridge, you know," he commented, glancing at me over his shoulder.

"I didn't know," I lied, shrugging my shoulders.

"Don't fucking lie," he turned, his face grim. "I know you drank, so don't lie in my fucking face."

I stood there paralyzed, feeling his furious glare over me; he was about to burst into one of his fits, I could feel it. I knew I shouldn't have drunk, I knew it…but I had been feeling so thirsty that I couldn't help it. He walked towards me, the back of my knees bumped against the bed.

"I fucking hate when people lie to me. You wanna disrespect me, hmmm? You think I'm an idiot, huh? Fuck you!" he raged, covering my face with droplets of spit, pushing a finger into my shoulder with every word.

"I'm sorry, Vaas; I was really thirsty…" I apologized in a thin voice, full of dread.

"No, no, no, no, please, shut the fuck up, chica. Do I have to remind you who's boss here? Aquí los cojones los pongo yo![2]" he switched into Spanish in his rage; he stared at me, his eyes so open that they looked ready to pop out of their sockets.

I tried to say something, but couldn't, maybe the best thing would be to keep my mouth shut.

"You are my bitch," he spat, "don't you ever forget it, or maybe I will have to stop being so fucking nice to you" he hissed, grabbing my shoulder with his left hand, digging his fingers into my skin; he inhaled deeply, his chest swelling visibly.

"If you ever lie again, I'll cut you into fucking pieces, do you understand?" he growled; I remained wordless and motionless. "I said… DO YOU UNDERSTAND?" he raised his voice.

"Yes, I understand," I said in barely more than a whisper.

"Ok, then; I'll let it pass this time because I woke up in a rather good mood. Now, go fetch breakfast," he let go of my shoulder and walked out of the room.

I put my bra and trotted out of the place, my head pounding painfully. I would have to drink water when I came back; I felt sorely tempted to delay myself so as not to have to be with him, but that would only make him angrier.

He had said he was "being so fucking nice with me", I couldn't help but scoff. Was that his concept of being nice? Treating me as if I was his personal slave? Frightening me into doing things? Trying to force himself on me? On the other hand, though, I had already seen how he behaved with his own men, and there wasn't so much difference. I remembered the way he had hit that man with his pistol, how he shot the Japanese, and when he had hit Keller and the other guy. Those two pirates from the second day came to my mind too. "Well, _they_ really deserved what they got," I mused. Maybe he _did really think_ he was being friendly or something like that, compared with the others. Although that didn't mean he was being truthfully kind.

My head hurt with every step; I entered under the canvas and walked in a beeline towards the boxes of fruit. Then I turned to go, ignoring the pirates having breakfast there. "You are my bitch," still echoed in my mind; he himself had said it. Deep inside, I always knew why he wanted me for, of course, I wasn't so naïve. He had left his intentions rather clear since the first day, and he had reminded me of them that same night; I pursed my lips when I thought of it.

He was on the steps, he seemed to be occupied examining his fingers. He had removed the plasters the other day, I recollected. I got near, he ignored me; he was scratching at his scabbed knuckles with one of his short stubby nails, trying to pick it, his tongue poking between his teeth in concentration. I waited, unwilling to interrupt him. He finished tearing the hardened tissue from his skin, revealing the pinkish flesh underneath; he flexed his fingers, frowning.

"Give me that," he said, making a gesture with his fingers. I bended to his level and put it in his hand. He smiled…triumphantly.

"I knew it," he quipped cheerfully.

"What?" I asked in puzzlement.

"That if I made you do that I'd get a nice view of your cleavage," he grinned, his eyes alive with mischief.

I turned around, trying to hide my blushing cheeks; I heard him snigger behind me. I tightened my grip around my breakfast, nearly squashing the bananas.

"Sorry, chica, but seeing you so embarrassed is so funny," he explained breathlessly, still laughing.

"Oh, how I would like to make you stop laughing, asshole," I thought, dropping to the ground not too gracefully. I didn't know what to make of his sudden behaviour changes; one moment he had one of those tantrums of his and then he was in a joking mood. The first one scared me senseless most of the time, and the other was rather irritating.

I devoured my fruits, needing to drink water; now that I could go out I would only have water from the hose, just in case he got mad at me for drinking from the bottle. I went to the shower and drank until I slaked my thirst completely; I came back to the steps, the pirate had taken out his switchblade and was scratching the wooden steps with it distractedly. I walked to the tree and lay under its shade, trying to sleep a bit more, just to kill time.

"Hey, guapa; I'm leaving, but don't go too far, ok?" I heard the pirate scream from the shack.

"Ok, don't worry," I answered; a little balloon of hope swelled in my chest. I would be alone on the outside, without that guy around watching my every movement, disturbing me whenever he had the opportunity.

The headache was subsiding bit by bit, I breathed out softly. Being there reminded me of my home, when I used to be on the grass in summer. The blades on my skin felt the same, the air blew over me in a pleasant manner, although the weather was hotter and wetter. I was getting used to the island, maybe too used to it. Maybe I shouldn't, after all, I was there against my will. Had the ransom video arrived? It should have, a few days had passed since I the video had been recorded. The little balloon burst loudly; how would they get the money? They must be worried sick, and I'm here like an idiot.

I sat up, feeling dejected; I hadn't had any news from the outside world in days, not even from the people in the cages, it was as if I had been confined to my own small personal nightmare. It didn't matter that I received better food, slept in a regular bed and had some freedom of movement; I still had to face the fear of death every second with that man, conscious that my life hanged from a very thin thread. It was very possible that I wouldn't die because of an illness due to the hygienic conditions, or starvation, nor by exposure to the elements; but I could still get a bullet to the head for no apparent reason.

I needed to move, take those glum thoughts out of my mind. I wished I could have somewhere to run, it always made me forget everything. However, the slope was too small and irregular for that; and I wouldn't dare to go to the main camp, unless the pirate ordered me too. The less I interacted with the pirates, the better; I didn't trust them to remember the threats from their lord.

Those two pirates from the second day had wilfully disobeyed him, even if they knew the consequences. Their execution would still be fresh in the minds of the others, but I was taking no risks if I could help it. Much to my chagrin, I had to admit that the pirate had saved me from being raped by those men. Nevertheless, it was fairly clear to me that he hadn't punished them because they had been trying to harm me, but because they had directly and consciously disobeyed his orders. He wasn't delivering justice for me, but for himself.

"Does it matter if those men didn't get what they wanted that time?" inquired a harsh voice inside of me. "You are well aware of what he wants from you, and it is not your company or someone to run errands for him. He's toying with you for the moment, but he will want more, and if you don't give it to him…he'll just take it, it's crystal clear, really," jeered that horrible voice. "What else can you expect from a psychopath like him? Someone who's used to having everything he wants? Someone who, if denied something, would just take it by force?"

I jumped to my feet and sprinted towards the glade down the slope, as if trying to leave everything behind. I panted heavily when I reached the little clearing; I bended and put my hands over my knees, waiting until my heart steadied itself. I sat with my legs crossed on the ground, my mind feeling emptier than before. I began to do my usual exercises, trying to release as much energy as I could; when I finished my muscles hurt and were hard, I would stiff the next morning, but at least I felt tired and relaxed.

I lay on my side, looking without seeing the wall that separated me from the rest of the world. The earth felt hot under me, a few weeds were tangled in my hair and some others clung to my clothes. I got up after I while and walked listlessly to the shanty, then picked the book again. I would finish it soon if I kept reading at this rate; I went back to the glade, it felt good knowing I could be alone there, where not even the guards in the towers would see me.

"Chica! Where the fuck are you?" I groaned when I heard his voice. I got up and walked towards the shack. He was near the booths, waiting for me to come. "I told you not to go too far," he grunted.

"I wasn't far, I was just on the glade," I explained.

"Whatever, move your white ass and get food," he commanded. I walked away and left the book on the steps, hurrying down the slope. The queue was as sluggish as ever, and a guy was making me feel very nervous by breathing down my neck the whole time. He was near enough to touch me, I had my fists closed around my thumbs just in case.

"Qué bien hueles, mamacita[3]," he said in a deep Columbian accent. I recognized the voice from the pirate who had caught me on the plane; I bit my tongue and continued ignoring him.

I grabbed a pair of dishes and presented them in front of the cooker, I looked at him in the face defiantly. He growled something I didn't understand and filled one plate with soup, then put a considerably smaller portion on the other.

I left the place hurriedly, trying to get away from that creep. I trudged up the slope and gave the pirate his plate, today it was some kind of fish soup with vegetables. I sat on the same place as always, playing with my food, I didn't feel really hungry. I forced myself to eat, who knew if I would have dinner that night, it was impossible to know with him.

I finished, his plate was empty too; I stood up and took his plate. I left for the canteen, the place was deserted at that time of the day, I chucked the dishes on the pile and walked to the shack again.

I got back and picked my book up, then sat on the ground with my back against the wall. The pirate remained where he was, a cigarette held between his lips, scratching at his fingers in an almost compulsive manner. I could hear his nails scraping against the skin of his knuckles over and over again.

"Fucking hell," he swore loudly at some point. Startled, I took my eyes away from the book, the pirate was staring at his hand, his fingers were covered in blood.

"What happened?" I blurted out.

"Scratched my skin off my fucking fingers," he grunted. "Don't stay there like an idiot, go fetch the doctor and ask him some bandages and tape. And make him come here, I need a word with him."

"Where is he?"

"Fuck, chica, it's fucking easy. You go to the canteen and follow the trail to the cages, but instead of going there you turn left until you find a big hut, there'll be people hanging around, ask them," he pointed in that direction with his bloodied hand.

I left, none too sure that I had understood him. I reached the canteen; "how am I supposed to find my way in this place?" I thought, creasing my eyebrows in concentration. I tried to think about the day he had taken me to the river. I arrived to the canteen, I had to take the trail that went past it. I took a few hesitant steps in that direction; that would be the farthest I had been by myself since I had arrived to this place. I gritted my teeth and walked onwards, searching for some clue about where I was going, but the shanties were practically all the same.

I just walked, then I saw some kind of trail going up a slope, I think that was the path to the warehouse. I knew I had to turn right to reach the cages, there was a wider way, it looked like the one I had to take.

"Fuck that pirate and his orders. I hope he bleeds to death," I thought savagely, I kept walking, there were pirates there too, they didn't even try to look away when I near. In the distance I saw how the path turned even wider, that must be the cage zone. I would have to ask where I should go now. I looked furtively to the other pirates, looking for one that was alone and didn't look too menacing, a hard task in that camp. There was an older man slumped on a couch under a canvas, he was watching the screen of a very old TV.

"Errrr…Excuse me?" I asked, the man looked at me with an annoyed expression. "How the hell do you talk to a pirate?" I thought, exasperated.

"What?" he asked gruffly.

"Vaas told me to fetch a doctor, where is his house?" it would do no good to beat around the bush.

"Turn left and follow that way, it's near the walls," he hinted the way with a curt movement of his chin.

"Thanks," I said while I walked away; he just grunted and kept watching TV.

I trotted through the place, trying to reach the place as soon as possible and get back to my book. There was the bigger hut. I looked cleaner and better taken care of than the rest of the shanties. I walked under the canvas that served as porch and knocked the door.

"I told you, Bornani. Painkillers are needed for more important things than hangovers," said a voice while the door opened. A tall and thin middle-aged man came out of it, he had pale Caucasian skin. It attracted my attention because he was the first European-looking person I had seen in days; the rest of the pirates looked African, Asian or South-American; Vaas had a Hispanic look about him too. His stern expression changed into confusion when he saw me.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I thought you were Bornani, he has been pestering me the whole morning for some aspirins, but it's his fault if he drinks too much. Come inside if you want," he stepped to the side to let me in. At first I felt a bit baffled because of his good-manners, they looked odd in a place like this. I entered into the darker inside of the building.

The place was clean and orderly, well lit by several windows covered by nets to stop the mosquitoes. There were metal cupboards with medicines and tables with medical tools, the smell wasn't too different from any regular hospital. The man himself had a clean and orderly appearance, with his well-trimmed salt-and-pepper hair and beard and clean though rather old clothes. He looked at me with sharp greyish eyes.

"I suppose Vaas sends you, what does he want?" he asked, closing the door behind us.

"How did you...?" I asked, he smiled slightly.

"Well, it doesn't take a genius to know it. The other men have been talking about a young woman being in Vaas' hut and walking around the camp from time to time. Women are not too abundant in this place, and they are usually kept in cages," he smiled at my surprised face. "Well, why did Vaas send you?"

"He wants me to come for some bandages and plaster; and he said you had to come, he wanted to tell you something," the man walked to a desk and opened a drawer.

"He has been scratching his fingers again, hasn't he?" he looked severe again. "One day he'll get them infected," he put something on the pocket of his jacket. "Well, let's go, I suppose you already know Vaas' moods."

I snorted in response. We walked out of the hut and marched together towards the hill. I caught him looking at me sideways, probably with as much curiosity as me.

"He should have brought you after the fight to disinfect those wounds," he commented, making a gesture with his head towards my neck and forehead.

"He poured vodka or something like that after the fight. Don't worry, I had almost forgotten about them," I said, touching absentmindedly the scratches on my neck.

We walked the rest of the way silently. I looked at him by the corner of my eye; he didn't look like a pirate, he looked…nice, very different from the rude and arrogant men I had met in that camp. What was he doing there?

I let him lead the way, he was taking me through different trails. I would have felt suspicious with anyone else in that camp, including Vaas. But that man didn't look dangerous or menacing like the others, nor did he carry any weapons, at least not at plain sight. We reached the slope and climbed it.

"Fucking time you came," grunted the pirate, he was sitting on the steps, a bottle of rum sitting on a plank. His hand wasn't as bloody as before, I supposed he had cleaned it with the alcoholic beverage.

The doctor took a roll of surgical tape and other of bandages and gave them to Vaas. The pirate left them on the steps and then proceeded to light a cigarette, a thoughtful expression on his face. We waited in silence, the pirate sitting on the steps and us standing in front of him, like two vassals asking audience to their lord.

"What about the other girl? Shouldn't she be already cured?" asked the pirate lord gruffly. At first I didn't quite understand what he meant.

"She's better, of course. Her nose had been broken as well as several bones from her face; her ribs had a few bruises too," the doctor looked at me sideways, I realised he was talking about Sarah, guilt shook my body with a shock.

"If it's that she should be healed by now," replied the pirate, taking a long drag.

"Yes, I tried to recompose her nose and bones as well as I could, but resources are limited here…The problem is that she suffers from the stress of the fight and the consequent wounds. She has reacted to more stimuli these last days, but she's still delirious in certain moments, mostly asking for her daughter. She barely talks, it must be post-traumatic catatonia," my whole body felt cold and numb, I had done all that.

"Then drag her out of the fucking bed, I promised my men could have her when she was cured," growled the pirate, the doctor didn't even blink.

"I don't think that would work, boss. She's totally apathetic, she would need something really strong to get her out of this state, seeing her daughter for example," Vaas stared at the older man, exhaling the smoke through his nose, deep in thought.

"Yeah, whatever, save yourself the fancy words," Vaas waved his hand impatiently. "I'll think about it, you can go," he dismissed him. The doctor left, looking at me keenly one last time.

The pirate picked the roll of tape and began to pry away the tape, I sat on my usual place, putting the book on my lap. I tried to start reading, but I couldn't concentrate.

"Fucking tape," he said under his breath. "Hey, hermana, your nails are longer, get me some tape," he thrust the roll over the open book; I rolled my eyes and separated the sticky material, then gave it to him.

He cut pieces of tape and wrapped them around his scabbed fingers, then he covered the scarred gash on his hand with the bandage.

"That's fucking better," he said, flexing his fingers to let the material adjust itself. He took a swig of the liquor and put the bottle in front of me.

"Want a shot?" he asked.

"No, thanks," I replied. He left the bottle again.

We spent the rest of the time in silence; the pirate had his back against the threshold and played with his switchblade distractedly, opening it and closing it over and over. He only moved from there to pick his laptop.

I tried to read, but it was impossible; I couldn't get the doctor's words out of my head. Sarah was in a catatonic state, barely talking; all because of the fight. I could have ended like her, I could be the one lying in that bed, waiting to be considered cured and then thrown to those men as if I was a chunk of meat. I had been lucky during the fight, but now I had to stay with the madman.

The images from the fight became a blur in my mind, and also what had happened afterwards, like an endless nightmare. The colours were vibrant, the sensations as clear as if I was there. The sounds from the crowd, the taste of blood on my mouth, the wet smell of the river, the shanty growing darker, the pirate pushing me against the wall.

Night was coming steadily, time seemed to change its pace on that island, sometimes escaping like fine sand between my fingers, sometimes as immovable as a block of ice. The pirate was reading something on the laptop, the screen illuminated his face. He left the device next to him, got up and stretched his arms.

"Dinner, chica," he grunted, and left for the back of the shack. I stood up and left the place, looking at the ground, not even enjoying the dusky colours. I joined the queue, someone pinched my left buttock; I turned to glare at whoever it was.

"There you are again, mamita," the pirate from before smiled lewdly at me. "It's nice to see a fine piece of ass from time to time," he said, I showed him my teeth threateningly and turned, hoping he would leave if I ignored him.

I nabbed two dishes and forks, and waited for the cooker to attend me. He turned to me and spat to the ground, looking at me with despise.

"Enjoy your food, Vaas' whore," he sneered, the pirate behind me laughed appreciatively. I fought not to throw the food to the cooker's face.

Feeling in a growing bad mood, I climbed the slope, kicking rocks out of my way, imagining they were pirates. The pirate lord sat on the steps, I passed him his food. He smiled when my tank dipped the moment I bended, our eyes met. He chuckled and took the dish, his gaze wandering over my frame.

I ate my food, my rice was a bit burned in some parts; that guy had done it on purpose. I took the dishes down to the canteen when I finished, more like a robot than a human; I didn't feel well. It wasn't physical, but something wasn't right. I arrived to the shanty, the pirate was still there, twirling his matchbox between his fingers, he looked pensive.

"I think I'm going to bed, I feel kind of tired," I said in a hollow voice. He eyed me with curiosity.

"It's soon, chica, what's wrong?" he asked, he frowned a bit, as if he was worried. However, a man like him would only worry for himself.

"I don't know, I just feel tired," I lied; in truth, I was haunted by the past, by himself. He edged a bit to the side to let me inside. The hut was dark, but I didn't even bother to turn on the lights. I took my clothes in silence, not caring if he watched or not, then curled to a ball on the side of my bed.

* * *

[1] "What the fuck is going on?"

"Hey, it's me! Get off me!"

"What the hell were you doing, bitch?"

[2] Taken from the Spanish translation of the game, translation of"I'm the one with the fucking dick."

[3] "You smell so good, honey."


	9. Chapter 9- Filth

**Hi guys! Long time no see!**

**The ninth chapter, I'm really sorry it has taken me so long to write it, but I have been extremely busy with courses, homework, my internship and whatnot. However, I still try to write when I have some spare time, so I hope I will be able to keep posting on a regular basis. **

**I want to say thanks to those who are reading, following this story or reviewed, it feels good knowing what you do is appreciated.**

**This chapter contains rather foul language and graphical violence.**

**I do not own Far Cry nor none of its characters.**

**I will keep on writing, if you have some ideas or would like to point out some mistake in the chapters or comment anything you want, you know how ;).**

* * *

My eyes snapped open when I heard someone muttering under their breath next to me. I saw through the corner of the eye how the pirate raised his hand to his face and rubbed it furiously, he sat up; frowning when he saw me. He yawned, not even bothering to cover his mouth, and stretched his limbs, making them crack.

"The fuck you looking at?" he said in a throaty voice.

"Nothing," I answered hurriedly, and turned my head slightly to look at him.

"Holy fuck," he grunted, cupping his forehead on one hand. "Like a fucking bullet in my fucking brain," he swung his legs out of bed briskly, he staggered slightly on the spot. He was ashen-faced; I looked at him, still cuffed to the bed.

"Fucking hell, it's gonna explode," he muttered, his eyes full of rage. "You still there? Out of my fucking sight! Disappear!" he snarled, looking at me. I instinctively tried to get up, but I was still restrained. He stomped to the desk and picked up the key, then wrenched the cuff from my ankle, scratching my skin in the process. I took my clothes from the ground as fast as I could and stormed out of the building.

I didn't stop walking until I reached the back of the cabin. Still shaken, I began to get dressed right there. I had to leave for a while, at least until he had calmed down a bit; I could sneak to the glade. I walked under the trees until I reached the little clearing and looked longingly at the rusty corrugated steel wall. I walked to it and kicked it with all my might.

Freedom was a few centimetres away from me, but I couldn't reach it. I sat with my back against the metal. I was starving, and I hadn't even gone to the toilet.

"He's raving mad," I thought, examining the torn skin from my ankle. "Fucking mental," I added in my mind. I would have never dared to speak those words aloud, for fear he would somehow hear me. My stomach growled pitifully, wanting food and water. That would have to wait, until the storm had passed.

I lingered there, feeling extremely impatient and nervous, tapping a foot rhythmically against the ground. Something red began to move between the emerald green leaves. The pirate came from them, he didn't look as pale and clammy as before.

"Why are you there?" he made a gesture with his arms, looking at me slightly confused. We looked at each other for a few seconds.

"You told me to disappear," I answered; he frowned slightly, then laughed raucously; I had to make an effort not to gawk at him. I remained there, sitting on the ground, while he laughed, eyes half-closed.

"Ok, chica, whatever. I'm fucking starving, go pick me one of those mangoes and some aspirin from the doc. Tell him I will go to his hut later," I got up and started walking, he swatted my thigh with one of his hands, smiling cheekily.

I huffed loudly when I was out of earshot, I couldn't comprehend his constant mood swings, and there was no way of anticipating how he would take anything. I treaded up the slope and mixed under the shadowy trees. The camp looked slightly busier than other days, some pirates carried long guns slung on their backs, walking towards the exit gate. I stopped in front of the canteen, deciding it would be best to pick breakfast after I had the aspirin.

I remembered the path from the other day, so finding it wouldn't be a problem. The air felt sticky around, and the weather was getting extremely hot. I pushed a few strands of hair out of my face, I would have to take another shower soon, and the stench from my tank was beginning to be unbearable. I would have to wash it…but I needed more clothes. An idea came up to my mind; I still had the rests from the other one, tattered and dirty, but I could wash it and then try to fix it. I would only need some thread and a needle.

However, I didn't have any sewing materials in my bag, and I would do anything before asking the pirate for that. Maybe the doctor would lend me some, he must have them, he was a doctor after all. That man looked nice enough, I could always try.

The improvised hospital was in front of me, I had walked rather fast. I raised my fist hesitantly, not knowing if the doctor was busy. Finally, I rapped the door softly. It opened, the doctor looked at me in surprise.

"Hello, does Vaas need me again?" he stepped aside to let me in.

"Well…truth is he said he would come later, he sent me for some aspiring for his headache," the older man rolled his eyes. He walked towards one of the metal cabinets against the walls.

"These pirates…they would end my supply of painkillers if I let them, I'm running low. However, I can't say no to the boss, not if I wish to keep all my limbs…" he made waved his hand in a resigned manner.

"He didn't look well this morning, and was rather pissed off…so, the sooner he gets well, the better for me," I commented.

"Mmmm, yeah, it's not wise to be on his range of fire when he isn't in a good mood, not even when he is. I'll give you something rather strong, it may make him feel sleepy, but it will help, and it will make things easier for you."

"Oh, thanks, really," I felt extremely grateful towards him. "Could…Could I ask you for something else? Do you have some thread and a needle? I really need to fix some clothes…" I trailed off.

"Of course," he said with a beam on his face, he went to the desk and opened one of the drawers, then pulled a bobbin of thread, he gave it to me, there was a needle tangled in it.

"Thanks a lot," I said, he put a little bottle of aspirins on my hand as well, I pocketed both things. "You can't imagine how grateful I feel, I would give them back to you as soon as I can," I couldn't help but smile, a rare thing those days, he smiled back.

"Don't worry about that, bring those to the boss," I set off for the cabin, saying goodbye as I exited. I trotted back to the cabin, feeling the weight of the things on my pocket. The front of the cabin was deserted.

"FUCKING USELESS PIECE OF JUNK!" hollered the pirate from inside. I entered hesitantly, nearly tiptoeing. The madman was jabbing furiously with a finger at the keyboard of the laptop. As if alerted by a sixth sense, he turned around, casting an infuriated glance towards me.

"About fucking time, puta!" he hissed, walking towards me. Fingers trembling like jelly, I reached for my pocket and grabbed the little bottle of aspirin, putting it in front of me as I was trying to ward off a vampire with a cross. He snatched it from my hand and walked to the fridge; he pulled a bottle of liquor from it, then he tipped a tablet on his hand and downed it with the liquid.

I didn't think it was really wise to mix alcohol with medicine, but it was his own decision, not mine; he could die as far as I was concerned. He left the bottle and stomped toward the steps, where he sat down heavily and grunted. I stayed put, looking at his back; he rubbed his head with his hands, messing his Mohawk.

I sat on the ground and took my shredded tank from under the table. I put it on my knees and began to thread the needle, it took me a while. I didn't know how to sew, but I had seen my grandmother doing it. I tried to make tight stitches, so it wouldn't tear easily. I ended up with a lot of irregular, crude knots down the front of my tank, making it tighter than before; but it would serve its purpose. Now I had to wash it, I got up at the same time as the pirate but, unlike him, I didn't stumble; he grabbed the threshold of the door, he was pale and sweaty, his eyes unfocused. He would have thrown me to the ground if I hadn't grabbed him before, clutching the back of his top clumsily. He grabbed my shoulders, trying to regain his footing.

"Fuck, I feel like I'm gonna puke," he breathed hoarsely. My knees were nearly bucking under his weight; I wouldn't hold for much longer, his skin was cold and clammy against mine.

"You should lie in bed…" you know, my voice strained.

"Are you fucking blind? If I move I will headfirst into the ground! Help me sit or something," I dragged both of us a few paces, but his foot caught in an irregularity of the floor and he fell backwards on the bed, pulling me with him in the process.

Our ribs crashed against each other, and I had been lucky enough to have my head to the side, or it would have collided against his. He pushed me off with a grunt; I remained there, trying to steady my breath.

"Should I fetch the doctor?" I asked nervously, he had his eyes closed tight.

"No, not yet; I will lie down for a bit, it's as if I was in a fucking rollercoaster or something," he grumbled.

"Ok then, I'll be outside," I said, getting ready to get up. However, he gripped my wrist before I could leave.

"No, you fucking stay here in case something happens and I need the doc," I exhaled through my nose, then sat on the bed with my back against the wall. We remained like this, him lying diagonally on the bed and me against the wall, throwing him glances from time to time. Bored to death, I began to bite my fingernails, I used to do it when I had nothing better at hand. However, I grew tired of that after a while, I started to doze off.

I woke up at some moment and looked instinctively at the fast asleep figure next to me. His head was turned to the side, I couldn't see his face. My stomach rumbled, I watched at him deep in thought, thinking if I should wake him up. However, he had been furious the other night, but if he was hungry when he woke up and I couldn't bring him food because it was late he would be angry too…Maybe I could just take my chances.

I tapped him softly in the shoulder, he didn't react at all, not even a grunt.

"Vaas," I said in a loud voice. "It's late, want something to eat?"

No response, he just lay there; I tapped his shoulder harder. Nothing, what happened? Was he dead? A mixture of sensations overwhelmed me; dread for what would happen if he was dead indeed and the pirates discovered it, and relief because the monster could be gone.

"Vaas?" I shook his shoulder, to little avail. "Shit," I spat out, I put a hand against his heart, straining to feel some heartbeat. The fucking idiot had to mix painkillers and alcohol, how could anyone be so stupid? Oh, there it was, the heartbeat; I sighed, feeling relieved and slightly disappointed at the same time.

"What's the fucking matter now?" he turned his head to me, eyes still half-closed. My hand was still on his chest, I took it away as if I had been burned.

"I was just wondering if you wanted something to eat," I said hesitantly; he raised an eyebrow, he looked slightly surprised. He stood up with a grunt and looked through the window, as if trying to guess the time of the day.

"Turns out I'm hungry, yeah; go fetch food then," he strolled out of the cabin. I jumped out of bed behind him and walked down the hill.

He looked in much better spirits; I cared for his wellbeing and happiness as much as he cared for mine, but it was convenient for me to have him in a good mood. I joined the queue and waited patiently for my turn to come.

I faced the cooker grimly with the two dishes in front of me, he ignored me on purpose for a whole minute, pretending to clean a knife with his dirty apron. My stretched out arms were beginning to feel numb. Seeing that I didn't plan on leaving, he snatched the dishes and filled them, I left without saying a word.

While I left, I felt someone behind me, I turned around. It was the Colombian pirate from the other day; he had tanned skin and cropped hair, he was on the burly side; most probably a brutish arrogant with more muscle than brains.

"Are you going to eat just that? Because I have a nice big sausage for you if you want," he said, I couldn't help but smirk.

"I'd probably end up as hungry as before, so no, thanks," I sneered.

Other pirates had been hearing our conversation, they whistled and laughed at my comeback. The smile slipped off his face and changed into fury and humiliation; I smiled triumphantly. However, he wouldn't be affronted by a girl like me and just stay there. His hand flew to my face and backhanded me harshly; some of the pirates laughed raucously and others looked among themselves with a worried expression.

"Let's see if you smile so much when I take you to the boss, bitch," he threw the dishes I still held to the ground and grabbed my arm painfully hard. He dragged me roughly to the hill, the stinging sensation from his slap hot on my face; I pulled, trying to free myself from him.

"Now you don't look so happy, don't you, hoe?" he leered, I remained in silence, looking at the top of the hill grimly.

Vaas was sitting on the steps, scratching his fingers. He looked up with a confused frown when he saw me and the other pirate.

"What's the matter, hermano? " that gorilla released me and pushed me in front of him, I tried hard to keep my balance.

"Your little puta, she insulted me," he pointed at me with one of his thick fingers.

"Chica, what did you tell him?" asked the pirate, looking with curiosity.

"I had little food on my plate, and he said that he had a nice big sausage for me if I wanted; I rejected it saying that I'd probably end as hungry as before. Then he hit me," the pirate lord raised an eyebrow, then got up and laughed softly.

"Well, hermana, you can't go around insulting people in their face, don't you think?" He said in a good-natured tone. I kept my face expressionless, he didn't look pissed off.

"Yeah, that's what I thought boss, she deserved to be put on her place," said the other pirate, encouraged by his superior's reaction.

"Yes, that's right," laughed Vaas. Then, he whipped out his gun out of his holster and a loud shot echoed through the jungle, the other pirate shrieked in pain and fell to the ground, gripping his thigh tightly.

"But…But boss!" screamed the man in pain. It was really strange seeing such a bulky man crumpled on the floor like a child with an injured knee.

"So…you fucking think you can do whatever the hell you want? Huh? Did I give you permission to touch her, to talk to her? Hmmm?" he growled, his face contorted in rage, making ample gestures with the arm that held his weapon.

"Ok, Ok, I should have asked," sobbed the man, trying to contain the blood with his hands, it seeped between his fingers like a little river.

"SAY YOU ARE SORRY! Tell her you are sorry for hitting her and calling her puta!" snarled Vaas, pushing the pistol against the pirate's wounded leg.

"Please! Please! Please! Forgive me!" howled the pirate at the top of his lungs.

"That's better," hissed Vaas, then put the cannon against the pirate's head.

BUM

The man's face looked full of surprise and betrayal, while his head was surrounded by a growing halo of blood. The crimson liquid began to dye the green grass; we stood there in silence.

"Fucking prick," added the pirate with disgust. "Michael! Come the fuck down and take this shit to the main camp!" he screamed to one of the pirates on the nearby towers. Said man climbed down the ladder hurriedly, other pirate appeared from the other tower to help him lift the corpse from the ground by its arms and feet.

"Main camp, boss?" said one of the pirate, if he was confused he hid it very well behind his aviator sunglasses.

"Yes, to the canteen zone; I'm going with you, I want to tell something to the others," he said coldly, his anger under control. "You stay here," he said turning his head in my direction. He started walking with his men behind him holding the dead man.

I remained there, aghast. He had really killed one of his men in cold blood, just for slapping his captive without permission. And the strange thing was that he had admitted that the pirate was right, that I shouldn't have insulted him. I sat on the steps to wait for him, my face still sore from the slap; would he punish me after this for insulting one of his men? He hadn't looked angry before, but that could change very easily.

He appeared a few minutes later, he carried two new dishes; I thought he would make me go for food again after he came back. I stood up and scanned with my eyes for a place to sit, as my usual place was drenched in blood. He pushed the dish into my hands and sat on the steps.

"You can stay where you are, chica, I don't mind," he said, sinking the fork on the stew. "I don't bite," he said with an impish grin.

Decided to trying to keep him in a good mood as long as possible, I sat on a higher step, nearly on the edge of the plank. We began to eat, it was a very strong meat, maybe goat.

"I gotta say you've got some balls, hermana. You should have known he wasn't going to accept whatever you got to say," he commented, chewing a piece of meat.

"He shouldn't have spoken to me on the first place," I replied, stabbing a bit of meat with the dull fork.

"No, he shouldn't. Why did you snap? You always have a grip on yourself when I talk dirty to you," he asked, looking in my direction keenly.

"I suppose I had had enough, he had been telling me things while we were queuing," he grunted in acquiescence and kept eating in silence.

I finished, he put his plate on my lap, next to mine. I left for the canteen; the trail had a little trail of blood on some places, it must have been from the dead pirate when he was taken down. I left the dishes, two pirates in a corner looked at me with hostility from the wall of one of the shanties; I held their gaze, but said nothing, I left as swiftly as I had come.

The pirate sat on the steps, he had lit a cigar and was biting the end with gusto. It amazed and horrified me at equal parts how calm he looked after having killed someone, one of his own men. I looked at the patch of blood-stained ground, seeing so much red reminded me of my mended tank, I could wash it now; anything to distract me.

I entered into the shack and picked the piece of clothing and my bottle of gel, then got to the shower booth. I rubbed it for a long while, trying to wash the splatters of blood from Keller's nose. My hands ended up covered in pinkish foam from the mixture of blood and soap. The stitches were strong, I noticed, even if they were irregular and clumsily made. When I finished I put it on the branch and took the bra and the shorts I had put the other day. They were clean albeit slightly stiff.

I got back to the shanty, the pirate sat on the ground, his back propped against the wall, still smoking. I tucked the clothes under the bed and picked up the book, then sat on the steps, at some distance from the cabin and concentrated on the book. However, I had the impression that the shot from before exploded on my ears every time I heard a stronger or sudden noise.

"Hey chica, leave that and come with me," I looked at him in confusion. "You heard me, come on, I don't have all the fucking day," I left the book on the steps and followed him.

He walked with long strides, I eyed him, what the hell did he want now? We kept walking, with me behind him, we walked past the canteen, there was a dried puddle of blood on the ground, probably from the pirate from before. He didn't say a word the whole time, I felt a tinge of fear inside me, was he pissed off at me for something?

We went through the labyrinth of huts, the pirates looked at me sideways, as if they didn't want to be seen doing it by Vaas. I realized we were nearing the cage zone, suspicions rose even more inside me.

The people inside looked half dead, dirty and desperate. They gawked at me or looked without seeing anything, eyes unfocused and glassy. A man scratched the dry ground distractedly, digging a shallow hole in the process, as if preparing his own tomb. Two women squabbled over a half-empty bottle of murky water, pulling at each other's hair and scratching, two pirates goaded them to attack at each other.

We were getting near my old cage; had he grown tired of me and decided to put me into a cage again? My mind struggled between the idea of getting far from that vicious man and being in such a miserable place, hungry and exposed to the violence of the other pirates.

We finally reached the cage I had shared with Sarah and the old man; there was a lone figure in it, the man looked asleep, I noticed a tiny figure cradled in his arms.

"Hey, you! Wake the fuck up, old geezer!" screamed Vaas. The man raised his head swiftly, confusion and fear in his eyes. His arms tightened around the little girl, who began mewling in annoyance, it was a pitifully feeble sound.

"You, get inside and pick the baby," he commanded to me, he opened the padlock an opened the door. I looked at him like stupefied; he pushed me impatiently into the cage. "Come on, fucking move."

I walked slowly to the old man, he gripped the girl even harder and looked at Vaas defiantly.

"What are you going to do with her? You already separated her from her mother; she's just a child, for God's sake!" he said indignantly.

"Don't stick your nose in things don't concern you, you fucking piece of shit! Give the baby to the girl before I slice you open!" growled the pirate, taking his knife out and pointing it at the old man. The man didn't look ready to relent; sensing danger, I decided to intervene.

"Give me the baby, he will kill you and take her anyway if you don't," the man clenched his jaw stubbornly. "I will take care of her, I promise," I said, though there was no way of knowing to which extent I would be able to keep that promise.

"She's right, hurry up," snarled Vaas from the other side of the cage. The man looked at me intently for a few seconds, he offered me the little girl; we stared at each other in the eye for a moment.

I held the baby against my chest and walked out of the cage, the pirate slammed the door close and locked it again. I looked at the old man one last time and I left behind the pirate. The baby wasn't dirty, but grimy; her blond hair filthy and her white skin smudged in dirt. The poor thing felt too light on my arms, she had been heavier the other days I had to pick her; the old man had kept her alive by giving her his food, but she needed to be properly fed.

What did he want to do with her? Was he going to kill her because she was of no use to him or something? And what did he want me for? Was he going to kill me as well? He walked fast, moving with long strides, swaying his arms slightly. We kept at that pace for a few minutes, the baby looked lethargic in my arms, leaning her head against my shoulder.

We had arrived to the doctor's hut, the pirate entered directly without knocking, I followed suit. The doctor was inside taking notes on a paper; he looked at us trying to hide his surprise; he left the pen and the paper.

"Is there a problem Vaas?" he asked cautiously.

"Nah, man. I just want to see Blondie, I'm going to get her out of bed," he replied in an offhand way.

"You brought the baby? Is she ok?" The doctor walked to me and examined the baby behind his thin metallic glasses; I allowed him to pick her up. "She's suffering from malnutrition, needs proper food," a stern rictus appeared on his face at the baby's state.

"Yeah, whatever, give her back to the girl and take us to the mother, fast," replied the pirate, sounding annoyed. The man offered me the baby and I picked her up; the doctor opened a door at the end of the room and we followed him. It was an ample, well lit room, full of rickety albeit clean beds; there were tables with surgical instrument too. At the end of the place there was a figure sitting on a bed, blond dishevelled hair covering their face.

We got to the figure, I had to stifle a gasp when I saw Sarah's face. She didn't seem to have acknowledged our presence; her eyes were glassy and stared at the sheets that covered her. Her fine nose was a lot bigger and lumpy, swollen and slightly bruised. Even her face looked strangely askew, asymmetrical, with bulges protruding in places where they shouldn't. The older man cleared his throat.

"Sarah…there…there is someone who wants to see you," he said, the woman raised her eyes to us, first to the doctor, then to Vaas, and finally to the baby and me. She looked dazed at first, but then a pair of tears rolled down her face and her mouth split into a grin.

"My girl, my little girl…" she muttered, eyes full of tears and joy. But then, her face changed, it contorted itself into a wild grimace of wrath and loathing, fear and pain.

"YOU FUCKING WHORE, GET YOUR DIRTY HANDS OFF MY BABY!" she jumped out of bed with unexpected agility and rushed to me, teeth bared and glistening with saliva. Someone stepped in before she reached me; Vaas grabbed her by the neck, he looked livid with rage.

"Don't you dare touch her, puta. Now, calm the fuck down and sit where you were," he hissed, his face next to hers.

"SHE'S A FUCKING BETRAYING WHORE, SHE THINKS SHE'S BETTER THAN ME JUST BECAUSE SHE WON AND SHE'S SUCKING YOUR DICK!" she yelled, her bloodshot eyes fixed on me. That last comment incensed me, I clenched my teeth.

"FUCK YOU! Better that than having a shitty face and waiting to be whored out to the whole camp, bitch!" I snarled, yearning to shut her mouth with a punch.

"SHUT THE FUCK UP! BOTH OF YOU!" roared the pirate, glowering at me; he turned to look at the doctor. "I don't know, doc, today it's as if everyone was trying to piss me off or something."

He pushed the woman roughly over the bed and took a deep breath.

"Ok, now you will fucking listen to me, if I hear a fucking word I will slap the shit out of whoever it was, understood?" he said this very slowly and remarked every syllable of what he said, he kept looking at me.

"Your face looks like shit, for real, I don't think I would fuck you even if you were the last woman on fucking Earth," he said, looking at Sarah. "But my men are getting tired of waiting, and a promise is a promise, you know? I'm a man of honour and all that shit. They can always turn you around if they don't want to see your mug, I don't give a fuck. The thing is…you are getting your ass out of bed and starting tonight making my men happy."

Sarah looked at me the whole time in mutinous silence, the baby was nervous between my arms, maybe because of the screams or because her mother was near.

"But I will be a good guy and I will let you have your baby, as long as you shag my men…if you don't, if I hear any complaint from my men I will cut her little throat in front of you and then kill you. Get it? It's fucking easy, Blondie; you fuck, you have your baby. She can stay with the doc while you are…_working_," he smiled malevolently at her.

"What about my face? Look what did your little whore to me!" the woman pointed at her nose, looking at me with hatred.

"Yeah, I know, not fucking blind. Shame, but I there's nothing I can do," the pirate scratched the back of his neck, and then he looked at me. "Well, get dressed and I will take you to the main area; you, chica, give the baby to the doc," ordered the pirate.

I did as he said, the doctor went to the other room with the baby and came back with a bundle of clothes, he gave them to Sarah. The doctor and I looked pointedly to another part to give the woman some privacy, though Vaas didn't even bother, eyeing her with mild interest. A few minutes passed until we finished; she had been given the clothes she had worn before, dirty and now baggy over her thinner frame.

The pirate grabbed the woman by the arm and pulled from her out of the room, I followed them. We walked for a while, Sarah dragging her feet behind the pirate, as if she was being taken to the gallows. The pirate turned to me at some moment.

"Hermana, get back to the shanty, I have to go to the main area with Blondie to make an announcement to the guys," I nodded and saw them take a different lane; I walked slowly to the shanty.

She was going let herself be given to those filthy men, like a hunk of meat to a pack of hyenas, all for her baby's sake. I felt I had no right to complain about my situation, better that madman than a hundred men like the one Vaas had killed that same day. I could have been her; I could be the one with the ruined face, being led to work as a sex slave. I sunk my teeth into my lip, hoping the physical pain would numb the guilt that engulfed me; even if it was the only thing I could have done, I had never felt so much remorse in my life.

I reached the top of the hill and sat on a rock, looking into the jungle, impassible and merciless, feeding from our suffering, not caring if we lived or die. I saw movement and heard screams from the pirates in the distance, in an open area; I supposed they were deciding who would be the first to have sex with Sarah. Disgusted, I left the rock and walked to the back of the shack; I looked at the mirror that hung there.

The scratches on my neck had practically healed, there were only four reddish lines on my skin. A sad girl inspected me from the mirror, her wounded lips pursed into a tight line. Her gaze was tired and fearful, purplish bags hung under them.

I felt dirty, maybe I could have a shower, it would do me good. I went automatically into the shack, taking my things and dragging my feet back to the shower. I hung my clothes over the door and made sure the door was in its place; the icy water soothed my burning skin. I couldn't help but feel sticky from the heat of the jungle, I wasn't really used to it.

Each drop felt like a cold tiny pinprick on my skin, I stood there for countless minutes, watching the water slide between my toes and to the planks on the ground and feeling the cold liquid on my skin. My body felt clean but my mind…it was tainted, adulterated, muddled. As if someone had introduced something alien and I couldn't get rid of it. I dressed, slipping the two clean pieces of clothing I had, I would be able to wear the other one the following day.

I entered into the shack barely acknowledging how I even got there. The pirate was nowhere to be seen; maybe he had stayed with the pirates and had decided to have a round with the other woman. He had said he wouldn't have sex with her even if she was the last woman on Earth, but you could never know how or when he would change his mind. I sat on the bed and looked absentmindedly at the top of the fridge. The pirate had left the little bottle of aspirins there; it would have served him right if he had died in the morning after mixing them with alcohol, at least Sarah wouldn't be forced to…I gulped, I couldn't even bring myself to think about it.

I don't know why I did it, but I got up and reached for the little container. I tipped one of the tablets on my hand and introduced it into my mouth, then downed it with some of the stale water from the bottle. I took my clothes off, leaving my tank and panties and curled into a ball on my side of the bed, hoping to erase everything.


End file.
